One of a Kind
by blackbeltchic
Summary: I had to change Chapter Eight, so the new stuff is up, and I will get you a new chapter ASAP!
1. Concerning you, the reader, and Chosen

Concerning you, the reader.  
  
Ok, I'd just like to start out by saying that this is a Lord of the Rings crossover. And I know that there are tons out there. I've read quite a few. Some with pairings from Willow and Legolas, some with Buffy, or Dawn, but I think I've found a unique story line. And if any of this story starts to seem familiar, I am terribly sorry. Besides, of course, the parts borrowed from either the book or the movie.  
  
I would also like to touch base on some other things. It is not my nature to start this fanfic as I have, I have the ending written, but no beginning or middle. Well, I have two starting places I am going back and forth from, so please be patient. Besides that I hand write almost all of my fanfic, which forces me to type it up and reread everything I write, which ensures you are getting the best I can offer.  
  
This story is going to start at the beginning of the last episode, or somewhat in the middle. You'll get the drift. This story, hopefully, will cover some bases, mostly if Dawn is really the key or not anymore. And if she is in fact a slayer, because she is made from Buffy.  
  
I hope you enjoy this story, as it slowly unwinds. And please feel free to point out any mistake, from punctuation, to spelling, or plot/story info. I also wish for you to give me any ideas that you might have while reading this.  
  
Oh, another thing I'd like to touch base on. I currently have the three books in front of me, and those are where I am getting all of the stuff from. It may or may not be the same from the movies, so I'm sorry for any inaccuracies.  
  
This story in fact will have spoilers for anyone who has not yet seen the final episode of Buffy, or has never read the books/saw the movie. If you do not wish to know what you have missed, please, by all means, do not read this story! Nobody is forcing you, and I don't want flaming reviews. Because that is bad for any writer's self esteem.  
  
Concerning the Disclaimer.  
  
Ok, I don't want to have to say this a million times over, so I hope I get it all in here the first time.  
  
The Lord of the Rings belongs solely to the Master of fFntasy, J. R. R. Tolkien, who on January 3rd, 2003 would have celebrated his elevendyfirst birthday. Happy Birthday, J. R. R.  
  
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to the evil genius himself, Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Grr! Arg!  
  
I got the script for the final episode of Buffy from buffyworld.com and was transcribed by CariCranberry. Joss Whedon himself wrote this final episode. This transcription is based on the broadcasted episode.  
  
Now, I believe that it is time for me to embark on this adventure. Once again, bear with me, and enjoy yourself!  
  
Karen  
  
Also known as:  
  
~ insane blackbeltchic ~  
  
:D Smile! :D, it scares people.  
  
(and makes them wonder what you've been up to! Hehehe!)  
  
START OF STORY!  
  
A/N: ok, this is what you guys pretty much already know. This is a retyping of the script, because the site (fanfiction.net) has a hard time accepting stuff that's copied and pasted. No clue why, but oh well. There are Author's notes in among the way, so beware of them. And I hope you enjoy this!  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Buffy and Spike are laying on his cot, fully clothed. Spike has his arm around Buffy, and she plays with his hand. He rolls over, releasing her, and she sits up. She stands and starts to pace the basement. She looks out the window, staring at the night sky.  
  
"Pretty, ain't it?" Caleb asks from beside her.  
  
"You're not him." She responds.  
  
"No, you killed him right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm. 'course, it don't pain me too much. Don't need an arm. Got an army."  
  
"An army of vampires. However, will I fight-?"  
  
"Everyday our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. Some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls, don't know the pointy end of a stake." He pretends to be concerned. "Maybe I should call this off."  
  
"Have you ever considered a cool name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless. How about "The Taunter?" Strikes fear in the heart-"  
  
"I will over run this earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh."  
  
"Talk on. I'm not afraid of you."  
  
He rolls his eyes at her. "Then why aren't you asleep in your dead lover's arms?" He glances at Spike. "Cause he can't help you. Nor Faith, certainly not your wanna-slay brigade. None of those girlies will ever know real power unless you're dead. You know the drill:" The First takes the form of Buffy now. "Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone with have the strength and skill- there's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone. Where's your snappy comeback?"  
  
"You're right."  
  
"Hmm. Not your best."  
  
"I'm drowning in footwear!" Spike, sleep talking, suddenly sits up with a start and Buffy turns to look at him as the First disappears. "Weird dream." He notices Buffy standing in the middle of the room. "Buffy? Is something wrong?"  
  
"No. yeah. I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before. We're gonna win."  
  
~ * ~  
  
They were all closeted in Buffy's room. Well, the Scooby gang in all its extended glory. Dawn, Xander, Anya and Willow all stare at Buffy in shock. She just looks at them.  
  
"What do you think?" she asks.  
  
"That depends. Are you in any way.kidding?" Xander asks, slightly scared.  
  
"You don't think it's a good idea?" Buffy is now concerned.  
  
"It's pretty radical, B." Faith says from her place opposite from Buffy.  
  
"It's a lot more than that." Giles stands from his place by the window. "Buffy, what you said, it-it flies in the face of everything we've ever- every generation has ever done in the fight against evil." He now smiles at his slayer. "I think it's bloody brilliant."  
  
"You mean that?" Hope can be heard in Buffy's voice.  
  
"If you want my opinion."  
  
"I really do."  
  
"Whoa, hey. Not to poop on the party here, but I'm the guy that's gonna have to pull this thing off."  
  
"It's beaucoup d'mojo." Faith agrees with the red head.  
  
"This goes beyond anything I've ever done. It's a total loss of control, and not in a nice, wholesome, my girlfriend has pierced her tongue kind a way." Dawn give Willow a strange look as Giles averts his eyes.  
  
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could do it."  
  
"I-I'm not sure I'm stable enough."  
  
"You can do this, Willow. We'll get the coven on the line, and we'll find out how they can help."  
  
"Oh!" Dawn says suddenly. "Pierced tongue." She responds to everyone's looks.  
  
"Dawn needs to do a research thing!" Buffy says, panicked.  
  
"Yes, you do." Giles quickly backs her up.  
  
Dawn rolls her eyes at the protectiveness of the man who had over the years become like a father to her and her sister, the ever overprotective one. "It's cool." She walks out, and stops in the doorway. "Watcher junior to the library."  
  
"I'll go dig up my sources. Quite literally, actually." He leaves the room, following Dawn.  
  
"Come on, let's go assemble the cannon fodder." Anya says to Xander.  
  
"That's not what we're calling them, sweetie."  
  
"Not to their faces. What am I, insensitive?"  
  
Buffy hands the scythe to Willow.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Buffy looks out over the faces that had come familiar over the past months. She wondered who would and wouldn't make it. Then she pushed the thought aside. It was time to rally the troops.  
  
"I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil, and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish, a whole lot of the time, that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either." Kennedy and Rona won't meet her eyes. "But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when it's army is ready, now. Tomorrow morning I'm opening the seal. I'm going down into the hellmouth, and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself, 'what makes this different? What makes us any more than a bunch of girls being picked off one by one?' It's true none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice."  
  
~ * ~  
  
{A/N: sorry, I just love this part, and had to add it!}  
  
Giles and Xander are looking at a map that's laid on the table. It's night.  
  
"I'm-I'm-I'm all turned around. You're here?" Giles asks, confused.  
  
"By the pillar, yeah. I'm protecting this area."  
  
"That puts me over by the door. Demons around the perimeter-right! I open the door." Andrew is sitting at the head of the table, wearing a red hooded cloak.  
  
He reads from a book. "You go through the door and are confronted by Trogdor to Burninator."  
  
A/N: HEY!!!!! TROGDOR! I JUST LEARNED WHERE THAT CAME FROM! HE'S FROM STARRUNNER.COM, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT! Cool! Sorry. Getting back to the story!  
  
"Oh, bugger it. Fight." He rolls some dice and sips from a glass at his elbow.  
  
"Adios to five hit points. Trogdor has badly wounded you."  
  
"Well, wait a minute. What about my..." he puts on his glasses and reads from the paper on the table in front of him. "bag of illusions?"  
  
"Illusions against a Burninator?" Andrew scoffs. "Silly, silly British man." Giles takes another drink. He's drinking wine to ease his nerves, and has had quite a lot, it was the only explanation why he was playing.  
  
"I envoke a time flux on Trogdor." Amanda says from beside Giles.  
  
"Step down, girlfriend, you can't just-" Andrew starts to protest.  
  
"Ninth level sorcerer, and I carry the emerald chalice. Trogdor is frozen in time. Deal with it." She writes down something on her sheet.  
  
"Smack down on red riding hood. This could get ugly." Xander comments.  
  
"Could it possibly get uglier? I used to be a highly respected watcher, and now I'm a wounded dwarf with the mystical strength of a doily. I just wish I could sleep." He looks into his cup.  
  
"What kind of person could sleep on a night like this?" Amanda asks.  
  
"Only the crazy ones." Xander looks over at Anya, passed out on the table, in the chair beside him. He strokes her hair as she snores.  
  
~ * ~  
  
A/N: ok, here's where things get.creative! Hope you're ready for this!  
  
The Sunnydale High campus is deserted and in a total state of disrepair. A car has been crashed into a tree. Papers and boxes are strewn all over the once neat grounds. The sign still stands, though, declaring 'Sunnydale High School.' Robin Wood leads Faith, Dawn, Giles and the others across the campus and into the school.  
  
"Welcome to Sunnydale high." He says.  
  
"There's no running in the halls, no yelling, no gum chewing. A part from that, there's only one rule." He stops and turns to look at the crowd following him. "If they move, kill them."  
  
"Ok, potentials, in the basement. Follow Faith."  
  
"If you have to go to the bathroom, it's to your left. If you don't have to go to the bathroom, picture what we're about to face. Better go now." Xander says, partly in jest, and partly not.  
  
"Willow, my office is straight through there." Robin points her on her way.  
  
"Its right over the seal." Buffy says.  
  
"I'll start getting you set up." Kennedy takes her bag and walks towards the office.  
  
"Thanks." Willow calls after her.  
  
"Ok, civilians. The vampires get upstairs, we have three areas the could get through to another building and then down into the sewers." He points out each location. "Down the hall in the atrium, the north hall here, and the primary target, through the lounge straight to the science building. Now odds are, most of them will head there." Wood says.  
  
"Teams of two then. I suggest you and I take the lounge." Giles says to Wood.  
  
"I concur."  
  
"Xander, I want you with Dawn-"  
  
"No."  
  
"What?"  
  
"No. I'm going with you."  
  
"Dawn, I can't allo-"  
  
"No. I know it's dangerous. And I know we're not all gonna make it. When Glory had me, I couldn't fight. I couldn't save myself. I didn't know how to. But now I do. And I'm paying evil back. With interest."  
  
Buffy looked defeated. "Fine. But I told you, if you die, I am so telling on you, and you will be in deep trouble. You hear me?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this show on the road."  
  
"Ok, Xander and Spike."  
  
"We'll check out the atrium." Spike nods at this and goes to set up watch.  
  
"So that leaves me and the dungeon master in the north hall?" Anya asked.  
  
"We will defend it with our very lives."  
  
"Yes, we will defend it with his very life."  
  
"And don't be afraid to use him as a human shield." Xander pointed out.  
  
"Good, yes, thanks." She nods at him.  
  
"I just want to say how proud I and to die for this very special cause with you guys." He takes a piece of paper out of his pocket and starts to read. "There's some, um-there's people I'd like to thanks, both good and evil. Um, a shout out to my brother Tucker, who gave me the inspiration to summon demons and also-"  
  
"Nobody cares, you little monkey" Anya interrupts and leads him away.  
  
"I'm gonna check on the girls." Dawn walks away also.  
  
"Dawn." Buffy takes a step towards her.  
  
"No. Anything you say is gonna sound like goodbye." She walks away from her sister.  
  
Buffy walks back to the smaller group still in the hallway. It's only Willow, Xander and Giles now. Buffy joins them. They stare at each other in heavy silence a moment before Buffy breaks the silence.  
  
"So, what do you guys want to do tomorrow?"  
  
"Nothing strenuous" willow says.  
  
"Well, mini golf is always the first thing that comes to mind." Xander says.  
  
"I think we can do better than that." Giles replies.  
  
"I was thinking about shopping. As per usual."  
  
"Oh! There's an Arden B. in the new mall!" Willow cries.  
  
"I could use a few items." Xander agrees.  
  
"Well, now aren't we going to discuss this? Save the world them go to the mall?"  
  
"I'm having a wicked shoe craving." Buffy reveals.  
  
"Aren't you on the patch?" Xander jokes.  
  
"Those never work." Willow tells him.  
  
"Here I am, invisible to the eye." Giles complains.  
  
Xander, Willow and Buffy walk down the hall together, away from Giles.  
  
"See, I need a new look. This whole eye patch thing."  
  
"Oh, you could go with full black secret agent look." Buffy tells him.  
  
"Or the puffy shirt, pirate slash-"  
  
"The earth is definitely doomed." Giles sighs and turns away from the three friends. The three friends are walking down the hall together. When they pass the principal's office, Willow leaves them. Xander and Buffy keep going. When they pass the corridor, Xander grabs Buffy's hand and squeezes it, before walking down the corridor, away from his friend.  
  
Buffy starts walking down the hall by herself.  
  
~ * ~  
  
All the girls are in the basement, and Buffy joins them. They form a circle around the edge. Buffy stands by Faith, Dawn on her other side.  
  
"You first, B." Faith hands her a knife. She sighs and takes the knife from Faith and uses it to cut the palm of her hand. She hands the knife to Faith. Moments later, after all the girls, including Dawn have cut their hands, they hold their bleeding hands over the seal, activating it.  
  
As Dawn watches, fascinated, the seal begins to glow blue once her blood touches it.  
  
The seal opens and a staircase is revealed, leading down. Buffy goes in first, followed by Faith.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Willow is sitting on the floor of the principal's office, with Kennedy across form her. There is a semi circle of while candles lit in front of her. There are other candles in the room as well. Kennedy watches Willow intently.  
  
"They should be in place." Willow sits back on her knees. "Ok, magic time. You ready to, heh heh, kill me?"  
  
"Starting to be." Kennedy responds.  
  
"Good. Fun. Great. Brace yourself."  
  
"Come on, red. Make it happen." Kennedy mutters.  
  
Willow begins performing the ritual while holding onto the scythe, which is laid out in front of her. Suddenly, she's overcome with power. The looks up, as the scythe and Willow start to low with a bright white light.  
  
"Oh.my.Goddess!" Willow exclaims breathlessly.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Buffy is in the living room addressing the potentials the previous day.  
  
"So here's the part where you make a choice: what if you could have that power.now? In every generation, one slayer is born,.because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman," she points to Willow, "Is more powerful than all of them combined." Willow whimpers slightly. "So I say we change that rule. I say my power...should be our power." She looks around the room, at all the girls that whether or not either of them liked it, she was forced to lead.  
  
"Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl on the world who might be a slayer.will be a slayer. Every girl who could have the power.will have the power.can stand up, will stand up. Slayers, every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Willow?" Kennedy asks tentivly. She looks at Willow in shock. Her hair is completely white, and she's still glowing with white light from the spell. She's looking heavenward, and the expression on her face is divine ecstasy. She pants as the power runs through her. When the scythe stops glowing, so does she. Her hair goes back to normal, but she's still recovering from the incredible experience of the spell. "You.are a goddess." Kennedy proclaims.  
  
"And you're the slayer." she smiles weakly." Get this to Buffy. She hands her the scythe who takes it and runs. Willow just sits there, panting , before collapsing onto her side, still smiling.  
  
"Ha. That was nifty." She says, sounding high. And she was. The power, a power she could reach, without going evil. This gave her so many possibilities. If only she could breath once more.  
  
* * * * * * * * * A/N: ok, this is just the beginning. Now I have to start reading the book, so it's gonna take me a bit longer to get things up, since I'm working on a few other fanfics. I know that it's evil of me to taunt you with these beginnings and not do anything with them, but I'll finish them. I'm seemingly very motivated right now. I have almost all of the second part of my ABC crossover typed, so that will be up soon. And then I'll start working on this, and you'll just have to wait to see what happens to the characters in the third part of the trilogy! Ha ha ha! Sorry. 


	2. We're not in Kansas anymore

~ * ~  
  
One by one, they followed Buffy and Faith into the seal. They climbed down the stairs. No one knew what to expect. Besides the decorator's choice in using a very liberal dosage of Ubervamps, of course.  
  
But what they did see, they weren't expecting. IN the least.  
  
They seemed to be in a castle. A castle that was under attack. From their vantage point, which wasn't a good one, they could see archers, and swordsmen. Strange beasts were using ladders to breach the walls. Many were cut down before they got off the ladders, and the ones that did make it were killed by other defender.  
  
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Was heard, courtesy of Dawn.  
  
They watched a man fall from the second story. He didn't even cry out.  
  
The beasts, like no other even Buffy or Faith had seen before, seemed to be wearing thick armor. A few potentials looked at the stakes in their hands, then threw them away. They would be of no use to them.  
  
Buffy and Faith looked around, taking stock of the situation. Most of the fighters were clearly untrained. Besides that most had seen either too many or too few years, some had white hair and beards, or no facial hair at all. They fought without skill, and had no hope of defeating the enemy.  
  
"B, I don't know why or how we got here, but we have to be here for a reason. They obviously can't do this on their own."  
  
"I don't know if the spell will work, Dawn's right, we're aren't in the U.S. We aren't even on earth, I think. We may be too far away. If it doesn't happen, then they'll all die. No question in my mind. They aren't trained for this, or equipped. I was put in charge for a reason, unbeknownst to me, and I will not have my word sentence them to death!" She hadn't wanted them to overhear, but she had to yell over the noise to be heard.  
  
"Buffy. Faith." Amanda stepped forward. "I think I speak for us all when I say we knew some of us wouldn't make it. I know I looked around this morning and wondered who would, if I would." The others nodded in consent.  
  
Then Rona stepped forward. "We knew the danger before we came, Buffy. And you promised us a battle. Don't back out on us now because you're scared. Then we'd never trust or respect you again." A tight smiled told Buffy she was joking. Strange words to be heard from Rona, who didn't trust her, though.  
  
"Ok, then. If we're all in agreement, then let's get this over with. On my signal!"  
  
A/N: thanks to for the script. I'm changing things, though, so don't mind me!  
  
Gimli's grumbling and straining to look above the wall. "You could have picked a better spot." He grumbled to the elf beside him. Legolas just smirks. Aragorn approaches and stands beside them. "Well lad, whatever luck you live by, let's hope it lasts the night." Thunder sounds and lightning flashes, revealing the sea of approaching Uruk-hai.  
  
"Your friends are with you, Aragorn." Legolas tells him.  
  
"Let's hope they last the night." Gimli says, almost sarcastically.  
  
The marching and thumping grows louder and louder. Lightning flashes and it begins to rain. While the Uruk-hai army continues to march towards the fortress, an Uruk-hai leader steps on a rocky outcrop.  
  
Aragorn is giving commands to the Elven warriors. " A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!" (Show them no mercy! For you shall receive none!)  
  
The Uruk-hai leader raises his swords and commands his army to stop with a terrifying animalic cry. The Uruks stop and growl in anticipation of the upcoming battle and slaughter.  
  
Gimli is jumping and straining to see. "What's happening out there?" he asks.  
  
"Shall I describe it to you?" Legolas looks at Gimli with a grin, "Or would you like me to find you a box?"  
  
Gimli laughs good-naturedly. "Hehehehe!!"  
  
The Uruk Leader cries out once, encouraging the Uruk-hai to start roaring and thumping their spears furiously. The women and children in the caves huddle together in fear. Suddenly, an aging man loses his grip on his string and releases his arrow prematurely, shooting an Uruk-hai in the neck.  
  
"Dartho!" (Hold!)  
  
The Uruk-hai army stopped their roaring and thumping. With a hollow groan, the Uruk that was shot collapsed to the ground. The other Uruk-hai bare their teeth and roar with anger. With a cry, the Uruk-hai leader thrusts his weapon in the air and the Uruk-hai army starts charging.  
  
"So it begins." Theoden comments.  
  
"Tangado halad!" Aragorn orders. (Prepare to fire!) The Elves notch their arrow and aim.  
  
"Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc." Legolas tells them. (Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arms.)  
  
"Leithio i philinn!" Aragorn orders (Release the arrows!) Arrows rain down on the Uruk-hai below, killing many. He then takes a look around, and that's when he saw them. 30 plus girls, standing at the bottom of the center tower below. They were conversing as if a battle was an every day occurrence! They took no heed for their own safety! Some of them even held weapons! A blond and a brunette caught his attention. They were in the very front of the group, like commanders, and the blond was yelling something, but with all the noise, he couldn't hear her. He vowed to do something about them, but first, he had orders to give.  
  
"Did they hit anything?" Gimli is still having troubles seeing.  
  
"Give them a volley." Theoden tells Gamling.  
  
"Fire!"  
  
"Fire!" Another man takes up the call. More arrows are released. But the Uruk-hai army keeps advancing, with more replacing those fallen.  
  
"Fire!" Aragorn orders them.  
  
"Send them to me! C'mon!" Gimli is having trouble waiting. The Uruk-hai start to place ladders upon the walls, pushing them up with their long spears.  
  
"Pendraid!" Aragorn warns. (Ladders!) The Elves draw their blades in preparation for combat. The first ladders are almost reaching the walls with big nasty Uruk Berserkers on top of them. "Swords! Swords!"  
  
"Good!" Gimli says. He plays with the blade of his ax in anticipation. Close combat begins as the Uruk-hai climb over the wall.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Ok, everyone sure about this?"  
  
"Yeah!" the potentials responded.  
  
"Then let's go kick some ass!" Faith took charge, he enthusiasm sweeping the potentials. Those without weapons picked up some from the ground, from fallen men.  
  
Buffy took stock for a moment, "Amanda, Rona, Vi, Ashley, Ann, Jessi, Vicky, Nancy, Jen! The Gate! Help them!" She yelled to those closest to the wooden gate. They nodded, and went off. She was momentarily happy Dawn was right behind her. She and Faith, followed by the other potentials, ran up the stairs to where the heavy fighting was. Buffy began punching and kicking, right away, pushing monsters over the edge, to their doom on the ground. Faith followed suit, letting out a whoop as she pushed ladders overflowing with the beast over.  
  
"Excuse me, My ladies, but this is not a safe place-"  
  
"Don't my lady me, and uh.No Shit Sherlock! Look around! We're in the middle of a battle here!"  
  
"Dig deeper Watson." Dawns said from behind Faith, looking over her shoulder. When her eyes fell onto the guy blocking their way, they widened, and she smiled. He was hott! Well, a big shaggy looking, but still very fine indeed!  
  
"Please! I beg of you! Join the other women in the keep!" He pleaded, trying to make them see reason.  
  
"Let me think about that a moment..hm..huh..um..NO!" Buffy snapped, loosing her temper. "How else do you expect to win?" She gave him a look, and he saw exactly how hard her eyes were. Eyes like that on a man would have calmed him, if he were a friend, and made him wary if he be an enemy, but in a woman..they frightened him. What had she seen in her short life to harden her in such a way?  
  
She sighed, and she and Faith pushed by him. The other potentials were actually holding their own, for now, and it was not the time to go mother hen on them. She had to face it, some were going to die.  
  
Then the man turned to Dawn. "Please! It's not safe for you women out here, I beg of you, my Lady! Listen to me!"  
  
"You don't listen, at all do you? My sister said no. You don't argue with Buffy. Trust me, you don't get far. I've tried!"  
  
"And whom might you be?" He asked, taking a different approach. He had to make them see reason.  
  
"Dawn. Dawn Summers."  
  
"And you are as beautiful as your namesake." He tried a bit of flattery. She was taken aback a moment, before realizing his tactics.  
  
"Don't even try. No one talks Buffy down. She's stubborn. Stubborner than a donkey, or a mule, or an ass!" she said, happy she could get around the 'no swearing' policy Buffy enforced. As if she didn't swear! "Besides, she's the slayer. She can take care of herself. She's been doing it for over seven years now."  
  
"Slayer?" he mused.  
  
"Yeah, try living with her. Now, if you'll excuse me." She turned and stabbed the nearest demony thing with a borrowed sword.  
  
He stared after her.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Legolas, two already!" He holds up two fingers.  
  
"I'm on seventeen!"  
  
"Argh! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" He turns to a Uruk just climbing over the wall, whacking it in the groin with his axe and killing it as it falls.  
  
Legolas fires two arrows. "Nineteen!"  
  
"Nineteen?! Where have you been, yo? I'm on at least thirty!" A brunette said, stabbing yet another orc. They just stared after her as she waded away through the chaos, whooping as she went.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Dawn was half way to her sister, when she felt it. All of a sudden, she couldn't breath. She collapsed onto the floor.  
  
Buffy saw Dawn fall and made for her, remembering her promise to take care of her and protect her, made when she was only five years old. But it was a stout man, with a very long, brown beard and a giant ax who got to her first. A demon leaned over her, and he was beheaded by the massive ax.  
  
"Dawn! Are you alright?!" Buffy rushed over. The man gave her his hand to help her up.  
  
"Ag!" he said, taking back his hand and shaking out his hand in awe. This young thing was string! At least as strong as a dwarf woman!  
  
"Dawn?" Buffy cried, as she fell back down onto the ground.  
  
"I feel..fine. better than fine. I feel great!" She looked down at herself in awe. Then she looked up her sister.  
  
"Give me your hand." She did so, and Buffy pulled her up, while asserting some pressure. Dawn flinched, before asserting her own pressure.  
  
"Ow! Hey!" Buffy was the first to respond. She shook out her hand. "We are so gonna have a talk later,. And don't forget, if you even think about-"  
  
"Dyeing, you're telling, I know." Dawn mimicked. Then a thought came to her. "But not if I tell first!"  
  
Gimli just shook his head at the pair and went on his way. They were clearly sisters.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Get this to Buffy." Willow handed Kennedy the scythe who takes it and runs. Willow just sits there, panting , before collapsing onto her side, still smiling.  
  
Kennedy runs down into the basement, and into room with the glowing portal. She cautiously stuck one hand through, then pulled it out. The stuck her head through, and was not happy with what she saw.  
  
"Oh, shit." She murmured, before running to get her goddess. they  
  
~ * ~  
  
Gimli is standing on the wall between two ladders, hacking away at Uruk-hai as they come up. "Seventeen! Eighteen! Nineteen! Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty- two!" He was no way, no how going to let a woman and a pointy eared elf show up a dwarf in combat.  
  
A group of Uruk-hai is advancing on the Causeway towards the gate in tortoise formation, using their broad shields to block off attacks.  
  
"Na fennas!" Aragorn warns. (Causeway!) He directs the Elven archers to aim at the Uruk-hai column on the causeway. The Elf archers release their arrows. The Uruk-hai at the sides are shot and fall off the Causeway, but the column keeps advancing.  
  
"Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Saruman?" Thoeden asks, in a scoffing manner.  
  
At the bottom of the Deeping Wall, two spiky bombs are lodged into the sluice gate. The rest opens a path and an Uruk-hai carrying a torch starts to run towards the sluice gate. Aragorn spots the Uruk-hai.  
  
"Togo hon dad, Legolas!" Aragorn yells. (Bring him down, Legolas!) Legolas shoots the Uruk-hai in the shoulder but the orc keeps going. "Dago hon! Dago hon!" (Kill him! Kill him!)  
  
Buffy looked at the guy yelling, then over the wall. There was a demon with a torch heading towards the drain under her feet.  
  
Legolas shoots the Uruk again. It stumbles and then throws it self and the torch at the bombs.  
  
"Oh, Shi-" An enormous explosion is set off, cutting off Buffy's words, blowing away a large part of the wall. Rock, debris and bodies are thrown up. Both Buffy and Aragorn are thrown back by the force of the explosion and on the ground, knocked out. Théoden looks on in shock as the Uruk-hai streams in past the Deeping Walls.  
  
"BUFFY!!" Dawn screamed. She couldn't loose her sister, not again.  
  
"Brace the Gate! Hold them! Stand firm!" Theoden yelled.  
  
Gimli sees the Uruk-hai charging in with Aragorn and the blond haired lady in their path. With a cry, he jumps down from the wall and lands on the Uruk-hai army, taking them out as he stands.  
  
"Aragorn!! Argh!" Gimli cries. He is soon overpowered. Aragorn gets up, and helps Buffy up, before and seeing Gimli falling.  
  
"Gimli!" He yells to the Elves behind him. "Hado i philinn!" (Hurl the arrows!) The arrows take out the first group of Uruk-hai coming through the hole in the wall. "Herio!" (Charge!)  
  
Aragorn leads the Elves in a charge towards the Uruk-hai streaming in. He rushes to Gimli's side and picks him up. At the top of the battlements, Legolas grabs a shield and sends it sliding across the ground. He then hops onto it and surfs down the steps, releasing three arrows as he goes, and kicking the shield to stab an Uruk-hai as he lands at the bottom.  
  
Dawn watches in fear, looking for her sister's body. She was sure she was dead. But then she saw the man who had flirted with her help Buffy up, and she sighed in relief. She watched in fascination as the man who saved her jumped from the wall onto the oncoming demons. And then, another man she hadn't noticed before, the cutest of all, she thought, surfed down the stairs, obviously going to his comrade's aid. She ran and jumped, doing a tuck summersault and actually landing on her feet, before rushing over to Buffy.  
  
"Are you ok?" Dawn asked as Faith ran up at the same moment, asking her equivalent of that question.  
  
Buffy had a strange glint in her eyes as she answered. She looked first from Dawn, and then locked gazes with Faith. She gave her a small smile. "Five by five." Faith clapped her on the back, as they got ready for the battle.  
  
"Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!" Gamling cried.  
  
"Na Barad! Na Baraad! Haldir, na Barad!" He yelled. (To the Keep! Pull back to the Keep! Haldir, to the Keep!)  
  
"What the fu-" Buffy elbowed Faith. "What did he just say?" She made a show of cleaning her ears.  
  
"Fall back to the keep!" The surfing guy said. Dawn smiled shyly at him. He looked at her strangely, before following the guy giving orders.  
  
"Come on." Buffy said. "POTENTIALS!!! FALL BACK!!!" She screamed, and the ones who weren't dead or dying followed the men.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Haldir nodded at Aragorn's orders, and turns back. Gimli is being carried away, kicking and struggling as he goes. "What are you doing? Argh! What are you stopping for!" he protested.  
  
Haldir hacks at a few Uruk as he turns towards the gate. Suddenly, he is stabbed in his arm.  
  
Slow motion: with a grimace, he kills the Uruk-hai and look s down as his wound in seeming disbelief. An Uruk-hai comes up from behind him unnoticed and slices him on the neck. As Haldir goes down, he looks around him and sees his kin fallen among dead Uruk-hai.  
  
Aragorn sees Haldir falling. "HALDIR!!" He runs up the steps to Haldir's side and catches him and he collapses. Haldir's head rolls back, his eyes empty and unseeing. Aragorn bows his head in grief. Then with a cry, he jumps onto a ladder and swings down to the ground, killing as he goes.  
  
"Brace the gate!" Gamling yells.  
  
"Hold them!" Another soldier yells.  
  
"Amanda! Vi!" Buffy got their attention. They follow her to the gate.  
  
"To the gate! Draw your swords!" Thoeden ordered, drawing his own. Théoden and his commanders come to the gate, which is under heavy attack. The Uruk- hai are knocking down the gate and hacking through the broken wood. Théoden stabs at an Uruk-hai and receives a lance in his shoulder, blocked by his armor. Grimacing in pain, Théoden continues to stab at the Uruk until led away by Gamling.  
  
"Make way! We cannot hold much longer." Gamling says.  
  
"Hold them!" Theoden orders.  
  
Aragorn Runs up and stabs away at the Uruk-hai through the broken gate. "How long do you need?"  
  
"Brace the gate!"  
  
"As long as you can give me!"  
  
"Gimli!"  
  
"I'm coming too, Mr. Guys-are-better-than-Girls." Buffy said, grabbing his arm and following him and the short man called Gimli.  
  
"Timbers! Brace the Gate!" Thoedon yelled.  
  
Aragorn, Buffy and Gimli slip out a side exit and stand on a ledge just to the side of the main gate. Aragorn peeks over, seeing the large band of Uruk-hai storming the gate.  
  
"Come on! We can take 'em!" Gimli cheers on his comrades over the sheer mass of the enemy.  
  
"He's right. With a slayer, you can do anything." Buffy said, smiling, through tight lips.  
  
"It's a long way." Aragorn warned. Gimli and Buffy take a peek and then steps back.  
  
"Toss me." Gimli mumbles.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I cannot jump the distance! You'll have to toss me!" Aragorn nods slowly and then turns to grab the Dwarf. "Oh!" Gimli stays Aragorn's hand. "Don't tell the Elf."  
  
"Not a word." He tosses Gimli to the head of the Causeway and then turns to Buffy.  
  
"Move aside." Buffy says, and jumps from behind him onto the causeway. She just bearly makes up, from her bad starting position, but she regains balance in an instant, her inner ear going on hyperdrive, and she knocks five demons off the other side. He shook his head and jumped over as well. leaps over.  
  
Gimli, making quick work of killing the Uruk-hai. "ARGH!!"  
  
On the other side of the gate, Theoden yells, "Shore up the door!"  
  
"Make way!"  
  
"Follow me to the barricade."  
  
"Watch our backs!"  
  
"Throw another one over here!"  
  
"Higher!" Theoden orders.  
  
Men are bracing the gate with wood and nails. Aragorn, Buffy and Gimli continue to fight off the Uruk-hai just outside. Meanwhile the Uruk-hai load and fires enormous hooks over the battlements. Hundred of Uruk-hai climb onto super-ladders as they are pulled up towards the walls, the super- ladders locking onto the edge of the battlements with their steel grips. Legolas takes aim as another super-ladder is being pulled up and shoots away one of the ropes. The ladder falls back onto the Uruk-hai army.  
  
"Hold fast the gate!"  
  
Théoden, through a crack in the gate. "Gimli! Aragorn! Get out of there!"  
  
Legolas calls to them from the top of the battlements. "Aragorn!" He throws them a rope. "What, am I invisible here?!" Buffy said, giving attitude. The battle was not going well. Besides, being blown up was not her idea of a fun time.  
  
Aragorn grabs Gimli, who grabs Buffy by her belt, mumbling an apology, in one hand and the rope with the other as they are pulled up the wall. Just then the Uruk-hai load and fire enormous hooks over the battlements. Hundred of Uruk-hai climb onto super-ladders as they are pulled up towards the walls, the super-ladders locking onto the edge of the battlements with their steel grips. Legolas takes aim as another super-ladder is being pulled up and shoots away one of the ropes. The ladder falls back onto the Uruk-hai army.  
  
"Pull everybody back! Pull them back!" Theoden orders.  
  
"Fall back! Fall back!" Gamling echoes.  
  
"Who does he think he is?" Buffy mumbled. "All high and mighty like a king. What's his deal?"  
  
"He is the king, my lady." Aragorn smiled at her.  
  
"Oh." She smiled sheepishly.  
  
"They've broken through! The castle is breached. Retreat!" Theoden ordered again.  
  
"Fall back!"  
  
"Retreat!"  
  
"Hurry! Inside! Get them inside!" Aragorn takes up the call as well.  
  
"Into the Keep!" They all run towards the keep, Legolas firing two arrows into the Uruk-hai army as he goes.  
  
"Kennedy!" Buffy grabs the girl as she goes by.  
  
"there you are. Here. This thing is awesome!" The girls said, handing over the scythe.  
  
"thanks. You know all the girls names, right? Get them inside. Find out who's missing, who's injured, who's not going to make it. Then report to either me or Faith. You got that?"  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
"Good. Where's Dawn?"  
  
~ * ~  
  
Banners of the White Hand are flying from the battlements of Helm's Deep. The Hornburg is overrun with Uruk-hai. Théoden and company are in the hall of the keep.  
  
"The fortress is taken. It is over." Theoden despairs.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Aragorn is carrying a table with Legolas to shore up the door of the hall. "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it! They still defend it! They have died defending it!"  
  
In the Glittering Caves, the women and children cry in fear as they hear the battering ram banging on the door.  
  
"They are breaking in!" One cries, and the others start to whimper.  
  
"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" There is no answer. "Is there no other way?" Aragorn demands.  
  
"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many." Gamling tells him.  
  
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance." Aragorn orders.  
  
"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?" Theoden despairs once more.  
  
"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them." Aragorn says after a pause.  
  
Théoden, thinks, and a light of determination shines in his eyes. "For death and glory."  
  
"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn tells him.  
  
"The sun is rising." Aragorn looks up at a window to see faint light streaming through. He recalls Gandalf's words. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."  
  
"Yes. Yes! The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!" Theoden cries.  
  
"Yes!" Gimli runs up the steps to the horn of Helm Hammerhand.  
  
"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn!"  
  
He mounts his horse and puts on his helmet. The sound of the horn rumbles through Helm's Deep as Gimli blows with gusto.  
  
"Get me a horse." Buffy says, coming over to a man.  
  
"No, you stay here." Aragorn came over.  
  
"WHAT?!" She exploded. "Look, mister, I don't know who you think you are, but I, as the slayer, and the champion of Earth, demand a horse! Don't even think for a moment that that silly 'it's not safe.' 'you could get hurt' crap is going to work on me. I've seen worse, trust me. I've watched my friends die, and know that it's my fault. I am not going to sit by and watch you and the king ride out of here, without my protection. You got that, or do I have to yell in your other ear?"  
  
"She can have my horse." A captain came up to them.  
  
"Thank you very much. See, here's a guy who knows how to treat a girl right." The man blushed. "Come on, let's do this."  
  
"But you don't have a weapon!" Aragorn said, weakened. He had no doubt it would be hell trying to get her not to go.  
  
She pulled the scythe from the small of her back where it had been held by her belt. "See this pretty thing? It's called a scythe. And this shiny thing here? It's a blade. It's also has a sharpened handle for easy dusting. Great for beheadings. And splitting annoying preachers up the middle." She said as if explaining to a stupid child. "Let's do this. We haven't got all day." She said, her voice hard once more.  
  
"FORTH EORLINGAS!!" The king cried.  
  
Théoden leads the charge out of the keep into the Hornburg, slashing away at the Uruk-hai as they go. Without pause, they storm out of the gate and down the Causeway, right into the column of waiting Uruk-hai. In the midst of battle, Aragorn looks east and sees a white rider against the rising sun.  
  
"Gandalf." Aragorn says.  
  
"Théoden king stands alone." Gandalf says to himself.  
  
Éomer, coming up from behind, "Not alone." He raises a hand. "Rohirrim!!" Riders move up behind Éomer.  
  
Théoden, looks to the east. "Éomer!"  
  
"To the king!" Eomer orders his riders.  
  
The Rohirrim and the White Rider charge down the slope. Half the Uruk-hai army turns to face the challenge, bearing their spears down towards the riders. As the riders draw closer, the sun rises behind them, momentarily blinding the Uruk-hai who raise the hands (and spears) to shield their eyes. The riders crash right into the Uruk-hai and engage them in battle.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Victory! We have victory!" He raises his sword with a victorious cry.  
  
"Sauron's wrath will be terrible, his retribution swift. The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle-earth is about to begin. All our hopes now lie with two little hobbits. Somewhere in the wilderness." Gandalf councils later.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ok, that's all I've got for now, well, what's typed. Now I actually have to use the books, so if it doesn't transition well, I tried! Tell me what you think. I'll try to get more up soon! Four day weekend! Babysitting three of the days, and a whale watch tomorrow. I'll get it all done, hopefully!  
  
Have a great day/night, and review! 


	3. Chapter Three

"May I ask what were you were thinking, disobeying orders?!" The man who she had worked beside stormed up to her while she was tending this guys arm. It had been cut, but no arteries. If it didn't get infected, it should be just fine. Over the years, she had learned a lot about minor first aid.  
  
"Listen, dude, I don't know who you think you are-"  
  
"Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir of Ilsildor." He gave a slight nod.  
  
"Well, I'm Buffy, son of Hank, the vampire slayer." She mocked his introduction. "And for your information, I don't take orders. I give them." She retorted, standing. He looked at her in awe. During the battle, he had seen how well she could wield a weapon, but looking at her now, with the chaos gone, she was tiny! And yet, she had the fire of a man twice her size.  
  
And I'm Faith. Just Faith. None of that lady crap, y'hear?"  
  
"Buffy! There you are!"  
  
"Willow?! What are you doing here?!" She spun at the sound of her friend's voice, and Aragorn followed her gaze. A red head stepped up to hug Buffy, daughter of Hank. He knew she was messing with him.  
  
"Kennedy got me. There's a portal open there, but not here?"  
  
"That's how we got here? A portal?" She slammed her fist through thin air, having nothing else to smash it through. "I should have known that the First would pull something like this. Oh, by the way, great job. The spell took."  
  
"I know, I can feel them. And not just ours, here." She closed her eyes. "Girls in class, falling off their chairs, an 11 year old, playing softball." She smiled. "Wait.Dawnie?" she opened her eyes, and looked to Buffy for answers, and that's when she saw Aragorn. "Oo! What's this? A little after slaying attraction?" she teased.  
  
"what?! No! he's being a sexist pig, even tough, if it weren't for us, he never would have won." She threw in his face. "are you sure he's not evil?" Buffy whined, turning to Willow. She was partially joking.  
  
"Excuse me?!" he raised his eyebrows at her. He'd like to raise his fist at her, except he'd never harm a lady.  
  
"And I bet he doesn't hit girls, either. That's the attitude that gets many vamps killed, you know." She said. "sexist pig." She muttered. Faith smirked at the older woman's attitude. She knew she'd eventually break this guy, that's what Buffy did.  
  
"Aragorn!" A short stout man and a tall, fair guy with long, flowing hair approached."  
  
"Will you tell him that I beat him!"  
  
"You killed 42, and you beat me by one, fair and square."  
  
"Alas! And my axe is notched because of that last one!"  
  
"Who are these fair ladies?" the tall one asked.  
  
"Buffy. She's Willow."  
  
"Faith, nice to meet ya."  
  
"You do the name justice." Legolas said, looking at Willow still. She blushed.  
  
"This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of Mirkwood."  
  
"So, Gimli, Legolas, you're final count was 42 and 41?! Please! I kill more vamps than that in a week back home." She taunted them. "Oo! Axe!"  
  
Buffy sighed at her..at Faith's competitiveness, deciding not to mention she has been recently broken out of jail. She moved on to the next man. She by passed a few, before finding one she could help. Both Willow and Aragorn followed.  
  
Aragorn watched in surprised admiration as this Buffy ripped the hem of her own shirt to bind a man's arm. He saw her bare midriff, and looked away. Of course, she noticed.  
  
"What? Is it wrong of me to tend to these guy's wounds, when they didn't have a chance in the first place? And they shouldn't have been out there. At least I had a chance. That's more than they had. She indicated the wounded around her.  
  
"What about your own wounds?" he touched her arm, and she flinched. She shrugged out of the arm of Angel's leather coat and pulled up her short sleeve. He would have thought that she would have made more of a scene, yet she had proved herself to be tough during the battle. She poked it, and winced.  
  
"It's shallow, but might get infected. Will, do you got anything?" In response, she rooted around in the satchel she carried, which he hadn't noticed before.  
  
"Here's a poultice I made earlier. I've only got a bit, though. Not enough even for the girls." She pulled out a jar. Buffy dipped into it and rubbed it onto the wound.  
  
"there. No big. Anything else, Mr. Hot Shot?"  
  
"You're cheek." He touched it with his pinky finger. This time she shivered. He drew back his hand. "Sorry." He murmured, fiddling with his Evanstar pendant. She in turn caressed the cross that had been given to her in a dark alley way seven years ago.  
  
"A woman's place is with her family." He hesitated before saying.  
  
"This is my family. Dawn, over there, my sister. Will, my best friend. Faith.. She's not a friend, but she's no longer an enemy. And these girls..I'm all they have left. I'm their leader, their protector from things that can squash them like bugs." She said, but then her voice softened. "But now...they don't need me anymore." She stared off into space a moment.  
  
Aragorn was going to argue that wasn't family, but he bit the comment back. The lady was not only right, she was obviously in pain about something.  
  
"I'd, um, like to know more about this slayer." he finally said.  
  
"I am this slayer." the fire was back in her eyes. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"Buffy, I'm gonna go find Kennedy." Willow said.  
  
"K."  
  
"What's this slayer?"  
  
"Short or long version?" He shrugged. She sighed, before launching into a monotone. "Into each generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers." She said, as if reading from a book. "Or another way to put it; In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness, as well as other evilly creatures. She is the Slayer. And she is I."  
  
"So you are a warrior-"  
  
"I am a champion. I'm all that stands between my world and oblivion. Well, I was. Then, I faced the Master. And then Kendra was called. And then she died, so Faith was called. Because there is only one Slayer. Another is only called if the previous one looses. That's the deal. One dies, another's called."  
  
"So then.you died?"  
  
"Yeah. Trust me, it's the strangest thing to go through. See, I drowned, but then, Xander revived me." He stared at her in disbelief. "You think that's bad, try being brought back after four months. After giving your life to save others. Clawing out of your grave. Trust me, it does not bode well with your nails."  
  
"Wait, you drowned, then buried, then brought back?"  
  
"No, I've died twice." She said, shrugging, before going off to see what Dawn was up to.  
  
"Lady Buffy, I must ask; are you willing to give everything to help us save Middle Earth?" he called after her.  
  
"I sent my lover to hell and eternal torment to save my world. 3 years later, I killed myself to save it again. And now.I've led an army of girls against the worst evil I've ever faced. I've faced vampire masters, evil mayors, cyborgs, Hell Goddesses, and even my best friend. And I just went into the mouth of hell, let it swallow me to stop the evil. But here's the thing, it's gonna choke on me, and it's going to fail. I've given my all, and I still have to give. But then, life never has been fair, now has it?" She turned her back on him. "I think the real question is- what do I have left to give?" she muttered. ~ * ~  
  
A/N: ok, this seemed like a good stopping place. Don't worry, I have more to type, just not a lot of time. But tomorrow's a half day, after the two hour pep rally *UGH!* so I'll have more time then! REVIEW please! Let a girl know you're still interested! 


	4. Sexist Pigs, and Review Responces

(just so you all know, this is in response to a review I got at fanfiction.net. I am keeping it here, because I think that some of oyu might have the same question/comments/concerns.)  
  
A/N: to the one question I've gotten so far: Where's Spike? I decided that I wanted Dawn to come, instead of Spike. Spike is with Xander. I just switched the two of them. Spike's blood wouldn't have opened a portal. Only Dawn's.  
  
Oh, another thing: about pairings: I don't plan on any at all. The ending I have written has no pairings at all. I just put my fingers to the keyboard and what ever comes out I post. (or pen to paper. You know what I mean!)  
  
Thanks for the reviews. If you have any questions, ask them. And I'll try to answer!  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
"Oh, Buffy! This is Eowen!" Dawn said, seeing her sister approach.  
  
"Hello, Lady Buffy. Lady Dawn was just telling me about the battle's you've fought." Buffy sent her sister a withering look.  
  
"She was interested in why we were able to fight." Dawn defended.  
  
"I am not afraid of death, just being locked into a cage until I am too old to defend myself! I can fight as well as any man here, and since I am a woman, I am not allowed to. Just because are not permitted to fight with weapons, that doesn't mean we can't die upon them."  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
"Lady Buffy. His Grace requires a word with you." A man appeared by her side, if she had been on edge, he would have been dead by now.  
  
"Only one?" Dawn asked, giggling, but Buffy's glare stopped her.  
  
"Where is he?" She asked, following the guy.  
  
"My Lady, I am not sure how you got here, but there are various reports claiming you saved us all."  
  
Faith sidled up just then. "Don't give B all the credit, now. She ain't the only slayer." she threw an arm around Buffy's shoulders.  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, Faith's right. I'm one of thirty girls here, and I can't take the credit."  
  
"You know how to fight, and yet still modest. Is there anything you can't do?" A man beside the king asked.  
  
"She can't keep a-oof!" Buffy gave her a generous elbow in the ribs.  
  
"I can't get you to shut up and butt out." She said. She gave the King a smile. "Sir, there is no praise needed. I just did my job. Now, I have to go round up my girls, and blow this pop stand."  
  
"Blow this.pop stand?"  
  
"Leave." She sighed.  
  
"That was just the beginning. Helm's Deep is safe, for now, but Sauron will not stop until the world of men is destroyed." Aragorn told her, coming up to them. He nodded to the king.  
  
She sighed. "I was afraid of that." She thought about it.  
  
"B, we're here for a reason. To save the world is a pretty good reason, me thinks."  
  
"But this isn't our world to save, F. We have our own war to wage.The First, remember? If we don't stop it, there will be no world to go back to!"  
  
"What's wrong with you, B? it's my job to turn my back on people in need, not yours."  
  
"I.don't know. I feel.strange." All of a sudden, her vision was clouded by a huge, fiery eye. She swooned, and both Faith and Aragorn caught her as she fell.  
  
"She's unconscious." Faith said.  
  
"What would cause her to.." Aragorn felt his hands slid in something warm. Something red.  
  
"Blood." Faith acknowledged. "Do you have some place.this is no place to.." She stumbled for words. She was in shock. The might Buffy had finally fallen. Something she had longed for for so long, and now all she could feel was.fear?  
  
"Follow me." Theoden said. Faith took Buffy from Aragorn and bore her weight.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"So, you're sister fought a God?" Eowen asked, in awe. Just then, a man was at her side.  
  
"Your uncle, his grace, bids to see you in his chamber. He asks you to bring a Lady Willow and a Lady Dawn."  
  
"Thank you." the man was gone. "Do you know this Lady Willow?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll go get her, one sec." She ran off and came back a few moments with the red head.  
  
"Follow me." They followed Eowen down a corridor. "Since this is a strong hold, there are very few chambers. My uncle, being the King, has one, though." She knocked on a door, then entered.  
  
The first and only thing Dawn saw was Buffy. Lying on the dead. Pale. Dead.  
  
"No." she murmured. And Willow had to place a strong hand on her elbow to keep her upright.  
  
"Hold on, squirt. She ain't dead, just unconscious. I figured she'd appreciate it if you guys knew. They," she jerked her head at Theoden and Aragorn, "want to check her over, but I figured she's wouldn't be too happy with that."  
  
"Th-thanks."  
  
Eowen dropped into a curtsy to Aragorn and her uncle. Mostly her uncle. She was still mad at them for not letting her help.  
  
"Ok, you two out." Willow took charge, pointing Aragorn and Theoden towards the door. "Faith you can stay-"  
  
"I'm out." Faith left.  
  
"Eowen?" The king turned to his niece.  
  
"Yes, your grace?"  
  
"Tend to their needs." And then he and Aragorn left.  
  
"Ok, Dawn, help me with her. Uh.Eowen? Fresh clothes? For all of us, we're all pretty grimy."  
  
She nodded and left, and soon returned with a pile of clothes. She shook one out, and they looked at the flowing fabric.  
  
Dawn and Willow looked from it to Buffy  
  
~ * ~  
  
Buffy swam in a sea of white. She was peaceful. Everything was ok. Wait, this was familiar! NO! She sat up with a start, and her bandaged side twinged with pain.  
  
"Easy does it, now. Lay back." She did as she was told.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Dawn?"  
  
"You gave us all quite a scare. Your sister most of all." The man.Aragorn said.  
  
"Don't you ever do that again."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You fainted. Then we found this gash across your ribs. Let me check it." She drew away from him.  
  
"It's ok, Buffy. He seems to know what he's doing." She nodded at Dawn's words, and let his pull up the tunic she was wearing to see the bandages. Dawn hovered near by.  
  
"Dawn, I'm fine. It's not like I haven't fainted before."  
  
"Last time you fainted, it was during a fight, with Angelus, and then you almost died, but then you killed death, so it was ok." Dawn looked confused. "You didn't know then." Willow cleared up.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"She killed death? Is that possible?"  
  
"Well, De Kindestod. Demon who kills sick and feverish kids. You can only see him if you have a fever." Buffy said. She looked at Aragorn, who was trying to be delicate while taking off the bandages, and taking his sweet time. If she hadn't known better, it seemed as if he was trying not to touch her skin. She figured it was a chivalry thing. "Move aside, mister." She pushed his hands away, and expertly took the bandage off. "There. You could have asked."  
  
The wound was on her second rib, so she had to pull it up a bit farther so he could see it clearly.  
  
"It's healing nicely." He said, with awe in his voice. She looked down at it. It was almost closed. "It was a pretty nasty wound."  
  
"Advanced healing. Slayer perk." Buffy explained, letting the tunic fall over her stomach. "So, can I get up?" she stretched, ignoring the pain in her side. She tried to run her hands through her hair. "Ugh!" it was all knotted and grimy.  
  
"Ok, you out, Eowen, could we get some water for Buffy to take a bath?" Willow asked shooing Aragorn out.  
  
"Of course." She left to heat the water.  
  
"How long have I been out?"  
  
"A couple hours."  
  
"Ugh." She slid out of bed. "What's going on?"  
  
"King's gonna hold a meeting in awhile."  
  
"Where are my clothes?" Buffy asked, looking at the long tunic.  
  
"I'm not sure. The shirt was ripped and bloody.." Dawn looked at the dress she was wearing. "All of our clothes were pretty bad."  
  
"Oh no. I worked really hard to get some respect form these sexist pigs, and there's no way they will respect me in one of those."  
  
"Faith's even wearing one." Buffy choked.  
  
"You're kidding!"  
  
"No, She's actually wearing a dress. She cut off most of the skirt and is scandalizing even the most hardened soldier." Dawn said, giggling.  
  
"How short?" Dawn showed her, just under three inches from where her legs met. "Ugh! Why do I always have to be the grown up?"  
  
"You re the oldest."  
  
"Fine. I'll wear a damn dress. But no lace, no frills, no nothing, got it?" They nodded.  
  
Eowen came in with hot water, soap and a change of clothes for Buffy. Everyone left Buffy alone to wash and change.  
  
She sat in the water until it cooled, reveling in the feeling of being clean. And the hot water. With 15+ girls, hot water was a miracle.  
  
She found the dress appropriate, though a bit long. With no sleeves and a mildly restraining bodice, she could still be able to fight if need be.  
  
She felt drained after the battle, so she did some of the Tia Chi Angel had taught her long ago, to regain some of her strength. More like to call on some reserves. She felt everything ebb away as she moved, until she was calm and collected. She centered her power and recalled it into the little box she imagined at her solar plexus; an imaging technique Giles had taught her. She secretly liked the way the dress moved when she did, something about it made her feel more feminine than the warrior she had become.  
  
Gandalf, Aragorn and Theoden were talking, so rather than disturb them, she walked outside. Some men were training; sparing, practicing with bow and arrow; going through sword basics.  
  
She also found that Kennedy had rounded up the girls and was running through some moves with them. They got some appreciative stares. They were continuing the back yard training thing. Buffy stopped and critiqued them all; both the men and the girls. The guys with the pointy ears and long flowing hair that talked in that strange language were the best disciplined, but her girls were a very close second.  
  
She turned her attention to the other men, she knew they'd need her help the most. She looked down the line of archers, and the guy at the very end was shooting his all wrong. She'd never shot a bow, besides a crossbow, but her common sense told her he was doing it all wrong, and his target showed that.  
  
"Sir, you're making some errors. Your feet need to be farther apart, so you have a wider, steadier base."  
  
"What do you know about it?"  
  
"It's common sense. Whether you are working with a bow or a sword. The farther apart your feet are, the more balance and stability you have. And the more accurate you are." She took his bow from him and an arrow, willing herself not to make a fool out of herself.  
  
She took a deep breath, widened her stance, lined them up parallel to the target, knocked the arrow, and drew the bow with ease. She aimed, and fired.  
  
By now, everyone had stopped what they were doing, and was watching the woman fire the bow. It just bearly missed the target, and some around her laughed. She took two more arrows, and in a quick concession, put both into the bull's eye, in the same place, so that the first arrow shaft was split.  
  
"That right there, gentlemen, is a Robin Hood." She passed the bow back to him and patted his shoulder. "Feet wider, ok?" He nodded and she walked off.  
  
"How did you learn to shoot like that?" The long, lithe blond.Legolas! That was it! asked.  
  
"Actually, that was the first time I've shot a bow." She told him. He was shocked. "I've shot a crossbow, and a rocket launcher, but never a long bow."  
  
"That's actually a short bow. Those are long bows, over there." He pointed to his fellows.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What other weapons have you used?"  
  
"Almost everything. I've trained with staffs, I use the crossbow regularly, stakes, swords, a rocket launcher once."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Well...it's like a bow, of sorts, but it shoots these things that blow up on impact. They're called a rocket. I used it against the Judge. He burned the humanity out of things."  
  
"Oh. Excuse me?"  
  
"This is the time where you just nod your head and smile." Dawn told him.  
  
"Oh, ok."  
  
"Dawn, don't you have someplace to be? Other than bug me, of course. Why aren't you training?"  
  
"I don't think Kennedy knows, and I'd rather learn from the best, anyway."  
  
"Aww." She sighed. "Go away." Dawn complied, knowing she'd get out of training. She'd watched Buffy enough to know training was no fun.  
  
"Lady Buffy, Gimli and I were about to train. Would you like to join us?"  
  
"Well.it depends."  
  
"On what?" he was confused. He had seen her fight. She seemed to have not been winded after the battle. He had not heard of her nasty fall.  
  
"If you can find me some pants. I don't fight in dresses."  
  
"Bu-"  
  
"I won't tell where I got them, if it's that big a deal." She pulled at the many folds of fabric. "You try it sometime! I have to concentrate enough as on not falling down when I walk!"  
  
He grinned. "I think I could find you something."  
  
"You're a life saver!"  
  
~ * ~  
  
"Much more betterer." She pronounced, looking at the tan pants. No, breeches. She reminded herself. "Thanks a lot. Let's train!"  
  
They went outside, and she immediately found a clear spot, and began stretching. Legolas and Gimli watched in awe as she stretched. She was so flexible! Even the elves couldn't do some of the things she did!  
  
"The lass is certainly flexible." Gimli said, a slight blush creeping up his face.  
  
"I see why she wanted pants." Legolas said as she lifted her leg over her head, then dropped into a full split. She hopped up and did a few bridges, one after the other, cracking her back. She spun her shoulders to complete the job. She rotated her hips, and swiveled her neck as well. She also did a few stretch kicks. A few men were giving her approving looks as she stretched.  
  
Aragorn, Gandalf and Theoden came out in the middle of her stretching.  
  
"She has wisdom beyond her hears; she has seen much torment and death, yet still keeps a child's innocence about her." Gandalf mused.  
  
Aragorn nodded, lost in thought. She confused him. A woman, yet a warrior; so wise in the ways of war, and yet so young; she looked so fragile, and yet had no thought for her own safety. She was not only a warrior, but a leader, capable of split second decisions, risking the lives of those in her command and her own, seemingly without remorse, and yet he had seen tears in her eyes as she identified the few fallen girls.  
  
"So, what first?" She asked, rolling her foot over a rocking, kicking it up. She caught it with ease, before spinning and chucking it at a parapet easily fifty yards away. It hit squarely and shattered.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"So, Spike, kill any good girls lately?" Xander mocked.  
  
"Sodd off."  
  
"Simple question. Simple answer."  
  
"No, not simple question, and you know it. It wasn't me killing those people. We both know that."  
  
"Not you in a sense, but it was still you, literally."  
  
"It was...excruciating, learning I had killed those people. This soul business is much worse that it was made out to be. No wonder Angel turned into a bloody poof. Ha, Captain Forehead. Impending danger, and where is he? Safe and sound in his own little town, with no worries about others. Bloody help he was."  
  
"Spike, shut up."  
  
"Fine. I'm gonna go check and see what's keepin' 'em. A guy could waste away, waiting for some action around here."  
  
"We can hope, can't we?" Xander muttered. Spike ignored him.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Spike stepped from the stairs into the sun.  
  
"AGH! BLOODY HELL!!" He dove back into the stairs and the shadows.  
  
Buffy looked up from the ground, as well as the girls. Dawn came out of the hall to see what was going on. "Spike?!"  
  
"AGH! Bollix!" he could be seen inside the dark doorway.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy hissed, storming over.  
  
"Coming to see what the hold up was."  
  
"You can't stay here. We are fighting during the day, and we aren't staying here much longer. And no matter the change in dimension, it seems you still can't go into the light."  
  
"I can't go back, luv. The portal's closed."  
  
"Dawn! Get Willow!" She called. Dawn nodded and ran back inside. "What do you want to bet she can open it?"  
  
"A lap dance? Not like I wanna stay here anyway, with every man ogling you, luv."  
  
"What? No. They just have never seen a woman warrior, is all. Or a woman in pants." She mused.  
  
"Uh-huh. You're luck I'm not the jealous type, luv."  
  
"Would you stop that?" She hissed.  
  
"What, luv?"  
  
"That!" She sighed. "Spike, can I trust you to do something for me?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"When you get back, don't let the others come through. We aren't staying here long, and I've already got to watch out for Dawn and Willow. I can't handle watching over anybody else. They'd be a liability."  
  
"Sure, luv. Whatever you say."  
  
"Ugh!" she seethed. He'd never learn!  
  
~ * ~  
  
"What's going on? What do you hear?"  
  
"Nothing much. Only that he keeps calling her luv." That bothered Aragorn more than he cared to admit, even to himself. "She wants him to make sure nobody else comes here. She doesn't seem to happy about him calling her luv."  
  
Then Willow and Dawn went over to the group, and Buffy ushered them into the doorway, after which she closed the door. The three women came out fifteen minutes later, and went their separate ways. Buffy came trotting up to them.  
  
"Sorry about that. So, what first?" she asked, bouncing on her toes and flexing her arms. "I need something to do, before I bounce out of my skin."  
  
"Sword fight?" Legolas asked, pulling out his twin swords.  
  
"Oo! Pretty!" Buffy said, accepting one. She held it in her hand, then tried to find the center of gravity. "Not bad, not bad." She found it and balanced the sword in the side of her finger. She then tossed it up and caught it, to the relief of the others. "God, chill. I've been using swords for.." She began counting on her fingers, "six years now." She said proudly.  
  
"Well, let's practice, then."  
  
"Don't go easy on me. I won't go easy on you." Buffy warned.  
  
"Fine." But he decided to go easy on her anyway. She was a woman, after all.  
  
They circled, waiting for the other to make the first move. "Ok, is this a chivalry thing? Waiting for me to make the first move?" he nodded, concentrating. "Fine." She muttered.  
  
She waited for awhile, trying to gauge her first move, and then she moved. She was in and out before he saw her. "Caught you sleeping." She taunted. Legolas looked confused a moment, but then hunkered down, concentrating more. "I'd say that was a dead." Buffy grinned. Legolas darted in to make a slash, but she parried and pushed his sword away. She saw the look of concentration on his face, and grinned even more. She knew that she had to rattle this guy. If he was gonna be a party pooper, then she'd have to make him loosen up a bit. This was supposed to be fun.  
  
Loosen up? She sounded like Faith. She shuddered inwardly.  
  
While her mind was on such dark thoughts, he took the advantage, and surprised her with an upward strike. She moved back reflexively, and blocked. He pushed his advantage, thrusting at her. She blocked each attack, but could not get a parry or thrust in anywhere. Finally, she got sick and tired, and dodged way out of the way, and came from behind him.  
  
He blocked her stroke just in time, and she spun and slashed. He blocked and went to strike. She caught his arm, and swept his legs from under him, taking him down. She then sat on his stomach, arms and sword pinned beneath her legs, her own sword resting lightly on his neck. Then she was off and up, extending a hand to help him up. He took it and stood.  
  
"Sorry about that. Couldn't resist not taking that opportunity." She gave him back his sword. "So, what next?" she asked, dusting off her pants.  
  
"Why don't we show these guys what slayer strength is all about, B?"  
  
"Last time we fought, I put you in a coma." She reminded.  
  
"No, last time we fought, I tried to kill your mother, stole your body and had some good fun with it." She countered, grinning and biting her lip.  
  
"oO, let's do this!" Buffy said, angered by the memory.  
  
"No weapons?" Faith asked, raising her arms and spinning, her small dress lifting and showing more leg, if possible. Buffy saw that she seemed to be wearing bathing suit bottoms, and wondered moentairily where she got them; and why she even bothered.  
  
"No weapons." Buffy did the same, her pants, though tight, were more modest than her fellow slayer.  
  
"It is not a good thing to go into a fight with anger in your heart." Legolas warned, stepping towards Buffy.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt her. Much." Buffy said, pushing him back. He stumbled at the force, and Aragorn caught him.  
  
Neither could deny that they were almost looking forward to this. During the battle, each woman pulled her own weight, but at times seemed to not even try. Like it came naturally to her, while at times, they were having a hard time staying alive. Gimli wanted to know how a girl like Faith could kill 135 orcs. That took power. But how much did she really have?  
  
They touched fists, and then stepped into fighting stances.  
  
"Ready?" Buffy nodded. Faith launched herself at her with speed the guys had never seen before.  
  
Then men who were pretending to train stopped. The two women had saved many of them directly, and all of them indirectly. The girls also stopped. Some were anticipating this; who would win out of the two original slayers? Others were terrified. They had heard stories about the problems between the two. Would they both play fair?  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
A/N: ok, after reading this, I think I am unintentionally going for an Aragorn/Buffy. I can't deny that I still like Angel better, but he is strong, and he is good, unlike Spike, and he's way better than Riley. Riley was just a...My sheltered brain can't think up a word that is strong enough to describe how much I *dislike* him. With a passion, of course.  
  
A/N: opalrose81, you are not being mean or picky, that's the type of review I want exactly. Just as long as something's not like.."I hate your story. It sucks. You are an awful writer." That type of stuff is not helpful, and I am lucky to have never received anything like that. But your comments are perfect. Yes, I know that I have some spelling erros, and it doesn't help to post/write them when it's late and my brain isn't functioning on all of it's brain cells, (which is like two) so you can see the problem. Eowyn. Gotcha. I'll fix that!  
  
And thanks for saying my story has potential. A writer's always looking forward to coments like that. I hope you enjoy the rest of this story, once I get it written!  
  
Acacia Jules: the reason why I didn't put in the fight is because I wanted a review like yours! No, I don't know why I didn't put in the fight. I have it written, and even typed, but I'm not sure I like it. It's a bit too flashy, but then, that's ok. And the reason why Spike did not stay was because I am playing with the idea of a Buffy/Aragorn, and if Spike was there, then he'd mess everything up. And I've been given the idea of a Faith/Legolas, and I'm playing with it in my mind. They might have a night or so together, but I'm not sure if it will be anything more than Faith trying to be her old self.  
  
And last but not least, to you all: I am soo sorry that it has taken so long to update, like all my stories! But, if you have been reading either my bio, or The Next Generation, then you will have found that I am having some difficulties. After hand writing 90+ pages, and then typing them up, it's NOT a good idea to go, "You know what? I don't like it." And then want to change it all! But that's what I'm doing! And it really doesn't put someone in a good mood!  
  
But don't worry, I had a good thanksgiving, and after eating the last piece of Cheesecake, which was soo good, my cousin's boyfriend proposed to it (the cheesecake, not her.) But then, he's not playing with a full deck. Sadly, neither am I.  
  
But I am in a good mood, so I am hoping to update this story ASAP, since people have been telling me, and I am so very thankful that you have been patient! I hope to have this updated by either late tonight, or early tomorrow. (think 2 a.m.!)  
  
And, forbidding any problems with machinery, such as MICROSOFT WORD FREEZING! I hope that you will be pleased with the new installment I am almost done with! It's the fight scene, and I have sat through six and a half years of karate, so if it isn't good, then it's NOT MY FAULT!!!  
  
Ok, the cheesecake's gone to my brain! I've gone crazy! I love all of you who are still reading! Enjoy!  
  
~ insane blackbeltchic ~ "People say I've gone crazy. I reply, 'I had nowhere to go!'" "Oh, I have lots of friends, you just can't see them!" "I live in my own little world. But that's ok, they know me here!" 


	5. The Fight

Faith began with a punch to the face, which Buffy easily blocked. They bot knew how to play the crowd. And Buffy knew that if Faith really wanted to hit her, she would. They went back and forth, taking turns blocking and punching, adding an occasional kick.  
  
"ready to kick it up a notch?" Faith asked. Buffy gave her a nod, quick and discrete, and Faith punched her in the face, sending her reeling backwards. Faith pushed her advantage, and Buffy let her for a moment, before dropping and sweeping her legs from under her. She then did a back flip over Faith. She landed, and Faith was up. Buffy backed Faith up to the wall, and began pummeling her. Faith ducked a punch, causing Buffy to leave a nice hole in the wall. Faith punched her in the midsection a few times. Buffy back hand sprung away from her and the wall, kicking her as she went. Faith followed her with a back flip wheel kick. Buffy tucked and rolled beneath her, and came up behind her. She sent a sweeping axe kick towards the base of Faith's neck. Faith spun, and caught the brunt of the kick on her shoulder. She took a hold of the leg, and threw it back at Buffy. Buffy used the momentum and did a back flip, stepping into a fighting stance. Faith did a 540 towards Buffy, but the 1 and a half rotation, spin jump kick was easy to block.  
  
Buffy nodded her head towards the crowd on their left, before grabbing Faith's shirt and started spinning her in a circle. She released her at the right angel so that she flew towards the crowd. They moved out of her way. Buffy was upon Faith in an instant, sitting on the other slayer's stomach just like she had Legolas, and started hitting her. Faith bucked her hips, making Buffy fall forwards, and she caught one arm, pulling in tight to her chest. She slid her foot behind Buffy's opposite leg than the caught arm, and pushed with her leg, pulled with her arm. Now Faith was in the position of power.  
  
Yet, Faith had on purpose let go of Buffy's arm, and she found herself lying on her back, while Buffy placed her feet on one side, and sat down. Her right arm was in between Buffy's legs, pulled across her hip. If Buffy pulled on the trapped, arm, it would snap.  
  
Faith threw her legs up and did a backward summersault, despite Buffy's hold, and Buffy had to let go.  
  
They were up on their feet, and ready to go. Faith grabbed Buffy, and smashed her head against the wall. By now, both were breathing hard. Buffy nodded, and they began to kick and punch once more.  
  
After a few minutes, Faith nodded. Buffy spun and back fisted her in the face. Then she found a knife to her throat, at the same time, Faith found one at her's. Buffy pushed Faith away, and they both stumbled back into a fighters stance.  
  
As one, they bowed to each other, turned and walked away. They walked side by side into the hall. When they passed Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and the rest, Faith slid the back of her hand down Legolas's cheek.  
  
~ * ~  
  
"That was a blast!" Faith hooted, flopping down onto the makeshift bed in the room Buffy, her, Dawn and Willow had been given for the day, until Buffy left, and then they'd be on their own.  
  
"I know! We scared the lot of them!" Buffy laughed. She was personally glad that the night before they had gone through the portal, they had talked things over. Everything. They still weren't friends, but they were on their way.  
  
"We had them on the edge of their seats! Ha!" You're pretty damn good at acting, B. That being angry, wow. I was almost quaking in my dress."  
  
"Your non existent dress. And that wasn't totally acting. I am mad about how you tried to kill mom. But I'll move on, eventually." She rubbed her head. "You could have gone a little lighter, though."  
  
"But then it would have looked fake. And you weren't a light weight either." She crossed her arms to crack her shoulder.  
  
"You started it, though." Just then there was a knock on the door. "Epp!" they both said, then laughed.  
  
"Come in!" Buffy said, trying to school her face into one of poise.  
  
"We just wanted to see if you two were ok, but it seems you are." Aragorn said, with Legolas and Gimli right behind him. The concerned look on his face made Faith laugh even harder. She snorted, and Buffy, trying to keep a straight face, couldn't anymore. She burst out laughing.  
  
"Wow, have you guys been smoking something?" Dawn said from the hall, pushing her way through the three guys to get into the room. Buffy just threw a pillow at her. She threw it back. "So, you guys have made up, right? No more trying to kill each other?" Dawn asked hopefully, remembering all too well what she had been put through.  
  
"Well, I don't know about that, squirt. Trying to kill B's fun."  
  
"Just as long as you don't succeed." Buffy said good naturedly. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli looked to one another, confused.  
  
"Ok, guys. Enough." Faith started tickling her. "STOP! It was fun, but no tickling. Aragorn, when are we leaving?"  
  
"Dusk."  
  
"You're leaving?" Dawn asked, crushed. She was finally getting some attention, and now they were leaving again.  
  
"Dawnie, I have to. But I'll meet you in..Edoras. That's it. And Faith's staying here, and Will. And all the others."  
  
"Just as long as you don't die again. I could never forgive you."  
  
"We aren't going to fight, we are going to parley." Aragorn said, to sooth Dawn.  
  
"See? I won't be slaying, unless someone gives me lip. Ok?"  
  
"Yeah." Dawn smiled.  
  
"Good. So, is there food somewhere? Cuz I'm starved."  
  
"I told you, fighting makes you hungry and ho-"  
  
"That's enough out of you!" Buffy clamped her hand around Faith's mouth.  
  
"There's food in the Great Hall."  
  
"Good!"  
  
~ * ~  
  
In the afternoon, the King's company prepared to depart. The work of burial was then but beginning; and Theoden mourned for the loss of Hama, his captain, and was the first to cast earth upon his grave.  
  
The sun was already setting when at last they were ready to depart. A great many people, the women and children form the caves, and those who were staying behind came to see them off. They had some trouble at first, going into the wood, neither man nor horse wanted to enter. Yet, Gandalf and Shadowfax went forward leading the company, and Buffy was right behind him. She had never really ridden a horse before, for such a long journey, and inside she was just as afraid of the wood as everyone else, but she did not convey that fear to her horse, or show it to the other riders. Inside the woods, no living creature besides the riders could be seen; none of the orcs that had run in and met their doom.  
  
Legolas and Gimli were riding on one horse, and they kept close behind Gandalf and Buffy. Gimli was afraid of the wood, while Legolas was scared, but more curious.  
  
"it is hot in here." Legolas told Gandalf. "I feel a great wrath about me. Do you not feel the air throb in your ears?"  
  
"Yes." Gandalf replied. Buffy, unbeknownst to the presence before, concentrated, and she also felt the presence.  
  
"What happened to the orcs?" She asked.  
  
"That, I think, no one will ever know." Gandalf replied.  
  
"Fine, cryptic guy." She muttered. Legolas hid a smile.  
  
They rode on in silence, but both Legolas and Buffy were ever looking around, both for different reasons. Legolas would have liked to stop, but he feared Gimli would mind.  
  
"These are the strangest trees that I ever saw." He said. "and I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age. I wish that there were leisure now to walk among them; they have voices, and in time I might come to understand their thought."  
  
"NO!" Gimli cried. "Let us leave them! I guess their thought already: hatred of all that go on two legs; and their speech is of crushing and strangling."  
  
"no. I know hatred. This isn't it." Buffy commented.  
  
"She's right. Not of all that go on two legs. There I think you are wrong. It is orcs that they hate. For they do not belong here and know little of Elves and Men. Far away are the valleys where they sprang. From deep dales of Fangorn, Gimli, that is where they come, I guess."  
  
"How do you know so much?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I have learned much in my life." So have I, and I don't know half as much as you do. And what's with the pointy ears? That's been bugging me all day."  
  
"I am an elf. Elves are immortal."  
  
"oh.. What are you, Gimli?"  
  
"A dwarf. I seriously thought you knew, lassie, or I would have told ye."  
  
"And Aragorn?"  
  
"Human."  
  
"Ah. Ok."  
  
"Fangorn is the most perilous wood in Middle Earth. I should be grateful for the part they have played, but I do not love for them. You may think them wonderful, but I have seen a greater wonder in this land, more beautiful than any grove of glade that ever grew: my heart is still full of it." Buffy giggled.  
  
"Strange are the ways of men, Legolas! Here they have one of the marvels of the Northern World, and what do they say of it? Caves they say! Caves! Holes to fly to in time of war, to store fodder in! My good Legolas, do you know that the caverns of Helm's deep are vast and beautiful? There would be an endless pilgrimage of dwarves, merely to gaze at them, if such things were known to be. Aye indeed, they would pay pure gold for a brief glance!"  
  
"And I would give gold to be excused. And double to be let out, if I strayed in!"  
  
"You have not seen, so I forgive your jest. But you speak like a fool. Do you think those halls are fair, where your king dwells under the hill in Mirkwood, and dwarves helped in their making long ago? They are but hovels compared with the caverns I have seen here: immeasurable halls, filled with an everlasting music of water that tinkles into pools, as fair as Kheled_zaram in the starlight."  
  
"ugh." Buffy shuddered.  
  
"What is wrong, lady Buffy? Are you cold?"  
  
"No. I don't like caves in particular. Especially ones with water on the walls, and moss. And a pool on the floor. Ugh!"  
  
"Why such feelings about such beauty?" Gimli demanded.  
  
"When that's where you went to meet your fate, and you died, it's not full of fond memories. I'm sorry, but could we cut down on the cave talk? I find caves scary. Not for the cave itself, or the dark, but what lurks in the dark."  
  
"But with torches! Ah! When torches are kindled and men walk on the sandy floors under the echoing domes! There are columns of white and saffron and dawn rose, Legolas, fluted and twisted into dreamlike forms, they spring up from many colored floors to meet the glistening pendants of the roof: wings, ropes, curtains fine as frozen clouds; spears, banners, pinnacles of suspended palaces! Still lakes mirror them, a glimmering world looks up from dark pools covered with clear glass."  
  
"You move me Gimli, I have never heard you speak like this before. Almost you make me regret that I have not seen these caves. Come! Let us make this bargain- if we both return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for awhile together. You shall visit Fangorn with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm's Deep."  
  
"That would not be the way of return that I should choose. But I would endure Fangorn, if I have your promise to come back to he caves and share their wonders with me."  
  
"You have my promise."  
  
"I'd like to see these things too, if you don't mind."  
  
"The more the merrier, Lady Buffy. But alas, now we must leave behind both cave and wood for awhile. See" We are coming to the end of the trees. How far is it to Isengaurd, Gandalf?"  
  
"About fifteen leagues as the crows of Saruman make it. Five from the mouth of deeping-coomb to the fords, and ten more from there to the gates of Isengaurd. But we shall not ride all the way this night."  
  
"Good." Buffy muttered. Her backside was already beginning to hurt.  
  
"And when we come there, what shall we see? You may know, but I cannot guess."  
  
"I do not know myself for certain." Answered the wizard. "I was there at nightfall yesterday, but much may have happened since. Yet I think that you will not say that the journey was in vain- not though the Glittering Caves of Aglarond be left behind." ~ * ~ A/N: Told you! It's now. . . . .10:57 p.m., on November 29, 2003, and this part is done! Finally!  
  
Sorry that it's sorta short, but it took a long time to type this all, since it came directly from the book, most of it anyway! Don't mean to plagiarize! I give all credit where credit is due, and major credit is due to J. R. R. Tolkein, who would be . . . . . 112, in 2004. Did you know what we share the same B-day? But he's like . . . . . . Well, 112 minus 16 is. . . . . . .Where's the calculator? . . . . . . . . 96! That's it! He's 96 years older than me.  
  
That's old. . . . . . 


	6. On the Move

They stopped around midnight. Buffy almost fell from the saddle in relief, and tiredness. Aragorn helped her down, and settled her near where Legolas and Gimli were already sitting. She wouldn't admit it, but her wound was bothering her. It was almost healed, true, but with everything going on; the fight with Faith, and all the bouncing from the riding, she was afraid it had opened.  
  
"Brr." She shivered. She didn't understand why she was so cold, but the closer they drew to their destination, the dread and fear grew, as well as her chills. She tried not to show her shivers, but Aragorn noticed.  
  
He took off his elven cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. He then sat closer to her, as Legolas, on her other side, did the same.  
  
"Y-y-you re-really do-n't h-have to" she said, her teeth chattering.  
  
"I'm not cold." He answered.  
  
"Here, Lassie." Gimli gave her his cloak as well. "Dwarves are tough, and can stand a bit of cold." He said, even though it was a balmy night, and no one was cold but her.  
  
"It-s n-not th-the ni-night. It's. . . . . I c-can't describe it."  
  
"Try." Legolas encouraged her.  
  
"I've lived in an evil place for seven years, now. But this. . . . this feeling . . . The evil I sense . . . I've never felt this way before. And it. . . . It scares me." They had no response for that. "You guys seriously don't feel it?" She asked, confused. She had never been the one to feel the evil. That was always Angel, or Spike, after he got his soul, or Willow. Never her. Unless this was a new extension of her powers.  
  
"No." the three companions answered.  
  
~ * ~  
  
They made ready to leave at dawn.  
  
Gandalf rode to the great pillar of the hand and passed it, and as he did so, the Riders saw to their wonder that the hand was no longer white. It had been stained with blood, and the nails were also red.  
  
All about them, as if a sudden flood had come and covered the parched land, wide pools lay to either side of the road.  
  
At last Gandalf stopped. He beckoned to them, and they saw that the mists had cleared and a pale sun shone.  
  
It was past noon, and Buffy found herself starved. A large pair of doors stood in their was. The Doors of Isengaurd.  
  
The groups sat silently, peering around at the destruction of Isengaurd. Yet still the tower of Orthanc stood, with water lapping gently at its feet.  
  
Buffy stared in awe. This place was huge. It must have been beautiful, once upon a time, but the land was scared, and things seemed to have fallen into a time of disrepair. She turned and looked at the rubble that had once been gates. Her sharp eyes picked up two small figures lying, almost comfortably, in the rubble. They were gray clad, it looked to her as if they were wearing cloaks similar to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, and she was surprised, for two reasons. The first being that she had picked them out at all, and the second being that she hadn't done it sooner.  
  
There were bottles and bowls and platters beside them, and it looked to her as if they had just eaten, and were now resting. One seemed asleep, while the other, he had his legs crossed and arms behind his head, and he was leaning back against a broken rock and he was smoking!  
  
Presently, the others saw them as well. Before the king could speak, though, the smoking one became aware of them, and he sprang to his feet.  
  
He was short, maybe even shorter than herself, she thought, somewhat amused by this thought. He was just a kid, or so it seemed. He looked to be an adult, but a young one, at that, but he was so short! He had brown curly hair and he was in fact wearing the same type of cloak as Legolas and the other two. This confused Buffy, and she set her mind upon this bit of information.  
  
He bowed long and low, with his hand upon his chest. Then, as if he didn't see the wizard and his friends, he turned to Eomer and the king.  
  
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengaurd!" He said. "We are the door-wardens. Meriadoc, son of Saradoc is my name; my companion who, alas! is overcome with weariness," here he gave the other a dig with his foot. "is Peregrin, son of Paladin, of the house of Took. Far in the north is our home. The Lord Sauruman is within; but at the moment he is closeted with one Wormtongue, or doubtless would be here to welcome such honorable guests."  
  
"Doubtless he would!" Laughed Gandalf. "And was it Saruman that ordered you to guard his damaged doors, and watch for the arrival of guests, when your attention could be spared from plate and bottle?"  
  
"o, good sir, the matter escaped him" Answered Merry gravely. "He has been much occupied. Our orders came from Treebeard, who has taken over the management of Isengaurd. He commanded me to welcome to Lord of Rohan with fitting words. I have done my best." Buffy had to hold in a laugh. Such words, funny to be heard from someone of her time, were even funnier coming from someone so short.  
  
"And what about your companions? What about Legolas and me?" cried Gimli, unable to contain himself longer. "You rascals, you wooly footed and wool patted truants! A fine hunt you have led us! Two hundred leagues, through fen and forest, battle and death, to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and idling-and smoking! Where did you come by the weed, you villains? Hammer and tongs! I am so torn between rage and joy, that if I do not burst, it would be a marvel!" Buffy covered her mouth with her hand, to stifle the giggles. How she could laugh in such a place, with all the evil, she didn't know, but the referral of cocaine just broke her, and she could not stop the laughter.  
  
"You speak for me, Gimli," laughed Legolas. "Though I would sooner learn how they came by the wine."  
  
"One thing you have not found in your hunting, and that's brighter wits." Said Pippin, opening one eye. "Here you find us sitting on a field of victory, amid plunder of armies, and you wonder how we came by a few well earned comforts!"  
  
"Well earned?" Asked Gimli, "I cannot believe this!" Buffy had a hard time accepting this as well. Sure, the people of this world were strange, and she knew not to doubt people, she was a good example of things not being as they appeared, but they were so small, and fragile looking!  
  
"It cannot be doubted that we witness the meeting of dear friends. So these are the lost ones of your company, Gandalf? The days are fated to be filled with marvels. Already I have seen many since I left my house; and now here before my eyes stand yet another of the folk of legend. Are not these the Halflings, that some among us call the Holbytlan?" Theoden asked.  
  
"Hobbits, if you please, lord." Replied Pippin.  
  
"Hobbits? Halflings? Holby-whatchamacallits?" Buffy muttered, confused.  
  
"Hobbits?" Theoden seemed to echo her, "your tongue is strangely changed; but the names sounds not unfitting so. Hobbits! No report that I have heard does justice to the truth."  
  
Buffy blocked everything out, while she thought about what a strange world they had ended up in! Wizards, elves, dwarves, men, and now these Hobbit thingys.  
  
"You do not know your danger, Theoden," Gandalf interrupted the conversation, and her thoughts. "These hobbits will sit on the edge of ruin and discuss the pleasures of the table, or the small doings of their fathers, grandfathers and great grand fathers, and remoter cousins to the ninth degree, if you encourage them with undue patience. Some other time would be more fitting for the history of smoking. Where is Treebeard, Merry?"  
  
"Away on the north side, I believe. He went to get a drink- of clean water. Most of the other Ents are with him, still busy as their work-over there." Merry waved his hand towards the steaming lake; and as they looked, they heard a distant rumbling and rattling, as if an avalanche was falling from the mountain side.  
  
"And is Orthanc left unguarded?" Asked Gandalf. Once again, Buffy blocked out the conversation. It did not bother her at all. She really didn't know why she had come, but she hadn't been needed back at the fort, with Faith, and Willow, and all the other girls. And there probably weren't any vampires or demons around to slay, anyway.  
  
Presently, the King, Gandalf, and the rest of the King's company rode away, leaving her, Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn with the two hobbit things.  
  
Everyone dismounted, letting the horses graze, and went to sit by the hobbits. Buffy, a bit unsure of herself, for like the first time in her life, stayed as inconspicuous as possible.  
  
"Well, well! The hunt is over, and we meet again at last, where none of us ever thought to come." Said Aragorn.  
  
"And now that the great ones have gone to discuss high maters, the hunters can perhaps learn the answers to their own small riddles. We tracked you as far as the forest, but there are still many things that I should like to know the truth of." Legolas said.  
  
Buffy got up, not drawing any attention to herself, and went to the horses. This conversation did not involve her, and as much as she was wanting to know about it all, she knew it was none of her business, and tried to stay out of it. Besides, she had other things to think about. Like the consequences of the spell.  
  
" . . . . it would go better after a meal. I have a sore head; and it is past mid-day. Your truants might make amends by finding us some of the plunder that you spoke of." The mention of food broke through her thoughts. "Food and drink would pay off some of my score against you." Gimli said, and Buffy couldn't tell if he was joking or not.  
  
"Will you have it here, or in more comfort in what's left of Saruman's guard house? We had to picnic out here, so as to keep an eye on the road." Pippin told him.  
  
"Less than an eye! But I would not go into any orc-house, nor touch orc's meat or anything that they have mauled."  
  
"We wouldn't ask you to. We have had enough of orcs ourselves to last a lifetime. But there were many other folk in Isengaurd. Saruman kept enough wisdom not to trust his orcs. He had men to guard his gates. They were favored and got good provisions."  
  
"And pipe-weed?" Asked Gimli.  
  
"No, I don't think so." Merry laughed. "But that is another story, which can wait until after lunch."  
  
"Well, let us go have lunch then!" cried the dwarf. They all turned to go towards the guard house, when Aragorn saw Buffy was not with them. He turned, and found her by the horses.  
  
"Buffy? Will you join us?" He called. She nodded, and hurried forward. He held out a hand to help her with the treacherous ground.  
  
"I can walk on my own, thank you very much." She said, as if to push him away. But then she tripped, and he caught her. "Thanks." She mumbled, flustered. They quickly stepped away, to lengthen the distance between their bodies, and a hand went to their respective necks, one fingering an Evenstar pendant, and the other a cross.  
  
Legolas noticed the awkwardness between the two, but said nothing.  
  
"Who's this, now?" Merry asked. There couldn't be a woman with the King's Company, it was unthinkable, to take a woman where danger might be.  
  
"Buffy Summers." He introduced herself.  
  
"Where did she come from?" Pippin asked, looking her over. This, of course, was directed towards Aragorn.  
  
"She . . . . .showed up at helm's Deep. She's a warrior, very experienced and-"  
  
"And she's standing right here." She huffed, hands on hips. People who knew her better would have known she was in a foul mood.  
  
"Sorry." The hobbits were intimidated. "So, who are you? Where'd you come from?"  
  
"Well. . . . " She heard Gimli sigh, and her stomach rumble. "Food first, and then I'll answer questions." She smiled.  
  
They were led to a door, which led to stairs, and they went up them, because that's what you did. A door at the top led directly to a large chamber, with smaller doors leading off. There was also a hearth and a chimney to one side.  
  
"I lit a bit of fore." Pippin said. "It cheered us up in the fog. There were a few faggots about, and most of the wood we could find was wet." Buffy had to hide her laughter. She knew that in this world, Fagggot might mean something totally different from what she took it to mean, but it was still the principal of the matter. Pippin looked at her strangely, but then continued. "But there is a great draught in the chimney; it seems wind away up through the rock, and fortunately it has not been blocked. A fire is handy. I will make you some toast. The bread is three or four days old, I'm afraid."  
  
They all sat down at one end of the long table. Buffy hid a grimace. Three or four day old bread? Ick! Besides store bought bread, bread got hard after it aged a day or two, if it was home made, and she guessed that was what this was. She hadn't seen and Shaw's or Hanniford's around. The hobbits disappeared through one door.  
  
"What was so funny?" Aragorn asked. He had just so happened to sit next to her.  
  
"Well. . . . .I'll tell you later." She didn't know how exactly to explain in polite company.  
  
Soon the two little men came back carrying dishes, bowls, cups, knives, and foods of various sorts.  
  
"And you need not turn up your nose at the provender, Master Gimli. This is not orc-stuff, but man-food, as Treebeard calls it. Will you have wine or beer? There's a barrel inside there- very passable. And this is first rate salted pork. Or I can cut you some rashers of bacon and broil them, if you like."  
  
"Oo! Bacon!" Buffy said, as her stomach gurgled.  
  
The four were soon busy with their meal, and the two hobbits, unabashed, set to a second meal. "We must make our guests company." They said, much to Buffy's merriment. She liked these two creatures, these hobbits.  
  
"You are full of courtesy this morning." Laughed Legolas. "But maybe, if we had not arrived, you would have already have been keeping one another company again."  
  
"Maybe, and why not? We had foul fare with the orcs, and little enough for days before that. It seems a long while since we could eat to heart's content."  
  
"It does not seem to have done you any harm." Said Aragorn. "Indeed, you look in the bloom of life."  
  
Once more, and maybe she would kick herself for it later, Buffy lost herself in her thoughts. Most weren't pleasant ones, at that. If when both Kendra and Faith had shown up was any indicator, how would she react to being upstaged? When she got home, if they found a way to get there, she knew that her world would have been changed. But was it for the better? Yeah, tons of slayers, but who would train them all? And if some weren't trained, and they died, on whose conscious would their death lie on?  
  
"What's wrong?" Aragorn asked, once he noticed she was picking at her food.  
  
"Nothing." He looked at her, as if he knew her. ". . . . . I'll tell you later." He still looked at her. "I promise! Ok?" He nodded, and went back to the conversation.  
  
They laughed and chatted, and the hobbits told their story, while they finished eating. Then, one or the other, Buffy had yet to be able to tell them apart, produced some tobacco, or something to that effect. After telling where they had found it, and one producing another pipe, they all went outside into the fresh air, but Buffy decided to stay inside, and clean up. She knew it would be easier to think by herself.  
  
Outside, they talked about this and that, and the noise of voices came back to her every once in awhile, as the wind changed. She was still cold, but had seemed to grow accustomed to it.  
  
Just as she was finishing cleaning up the best she could, just to give her hands something to do, as her mind thought, Aragorn came into the guard house.  
  
"What's on your mind? One as young as yourself shouldn't be plagued with such heavy thoughts to ruin your meal." He said quietly.  
  
"Rubbish! It's doesn't matter how old you are! Do you think destiny cares how old you are?" She said with more venom then she meant to. He sat at the table, and she went and sat across from him. She put her head down and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.  
  
"Aragorn, I'm sorry. I'm just so confused right now. When I thought up the spell, to change the rules, to make the potentials slayers, I thought I was doing a good thing. But. . . . I was fifteen when this slayer thing chose me. Who knows how old some of the potentials are? Twelve? Eleven? Ten even? Was it really fair to them to do that? To change their lives, their destinies, on a whim like that? Nobody deserves to have to be a slayer, to be a chosen one." She spat the name.  
  
"Just when I was getting my life back on track. . . . . Dying, then being brought back doesn't bode well for your social life. And with mom gone. . . . . I didn't know how to run a household! Bills, and debt! I just didn't know what to do! And then Spike . . . . " She put her head in her hands.  
  
"Was that. . . ."  
  
"Yes. The blond guy."  
  
"Were you. . . . .involved?"  
  
"Yeah, for awhile, till I realized I was using him. Aragorn," she looked up at him, and he saw something strange in her eyes, fear? "Don't judge me, ok? I know that things I did in my world, which were, well, strange, but morally ok, aren't in this world, by this world's standards. Don't judge me. Just be a friend, ok?" He nodded.  
  
"I went to Spike, because he made me feel something. Anything, it didn't matter, I just wanted to feel some sort of emotion. Even if it was disgust!  
  
"I was sleeping with a vampire! I don't know what was going through my mind. It wasn't like he was like Angel, with a soul and all. He was just Spike. He was there, and he was convenient." She seemed mad at herself.  
  
"But he said he loved me. But I never loved him. Sure I said it, but I didn't mean it. And then. . . . I stopped seeing him, and I got a job, and I had an income, and things were going ok.  
  
"But then, this past year, things have been piling up. First the school being rebuilt. And then the potentials showing up on my doorstep. And the First.  
  
"This Big Bad, evil. But oh no, it wasn't like the evil I'd faced before. No. It had to be the reason they existed. Sure, I've faced a hell god, vampires, demons, you name it. I've faced it, I fought it. Sure, sometimes I would quake in my boots a moment, but then I did what I had to do, and that was the end, until the next one came.  
  
"But the First, with no way of fighting it, no way of killing it, I was terrified. It was the first time that my fear had stopped me dead in my tracks! Here's this evil, that's going to destroy the world, and I have no way of fighting it!  
  
"So, when I thought up this spell, I jumped at the chance. It was a way to finish it. I no longer fear dying. But what I fear most. . . . . being forgotten.  
  
"I've been the only one, for a long time now. Seven years. It's a long time to devote to a destiny, yeah. And, ok, so I died the first year, and Kendra was called. And so she died, and Faith was called, but after they helped, they went away, one way or another. And I was back to being The One. But now. . . . . . . There are maybe hundreds of girls, with the same destiny as me." She looked up at him, the fear still in her eyes.  
  
"Am I being selfish? I tend to do that sometimes."  
  
"No, I don't think so." He chose his words carefully. She was strong, and he didn't want to anger her. He wanted to put her at ease. "It's human nature to wonder about oneself."  
  
"Yeah." She muttered, hanging her head.  
  
~ * ~  
  
A/N: sorta a cliffie! Hehehehe! 


	7. Chapter Seven

After a moment, she sighed. "Aragorn, I am soo sorry. I would have to be blind to not see that you carry a full load, without my own worries."  
  
"Lady Buffy, it was an honor to listen to you" He said. When had the damned "Lady" shown up? They had been on friendly terms, and now this "lady" crap showed up.  
  
He stood and took a deep breath. "We are thinking about exploring a bit. Would you cane to accompany us?"  
  
"Uh...yeah. I need something to do, to keep my thoughts at bay, before they consume me and make me do something I regret." And she wouldn't say anything more on the subject.  
  
She followed then and listened silently as they conversed with Gandalf and Theoden, whom they met on the way.  
  
"I must pay Saruman a farewell visit. Dangerous and probably useless; but it must be done. Those of you who wish may come with me-" He seemed to look straight at Buffy, as if daring her to come. He seemed to judge her on size and gender, but there was also a light of knowing in his eye. "-but beware! And do not jest! This is not the time for it."  
  
"I will come." Said Gimli. "I wish to see him and learn if he really looks like you."  
  
"And how will you learn that, Master Dwarf? Saruman could look like me in your eyes if it suited his purpose with you. And you are yet wise enough to detect all his counterfeits?" He was yet again looking at her. She just stared back. Let him think what he wanted. "Well, we shall see, perhaps. He may be shy of showing himself before many different eyes together. Perhaps we shall persuade him to come out."  
  
"What's the danger?" Pippin asked the question in Buffy's mind. "Will he shoot at us, and pour fire out of the windows, or can he put a spell on us from a distance?" Buffy was becoming intrigued with this guy, this sorcerer, but she was also weary. Her gut told her to be. He could not be trusted.  
  
"The last is most likely if you ride to his door with a light heart."  
  
"Then I have nor worries." Buffy muttered. Only Aragorn, the closest to her, and Legolas heard.  
  
"But there is no knowing what he can do, or may choose to try. A wild beast cornered is not safe to approach. And Sarumon has powers you do not guess. beware of his voice!" he warned.  
  
They walked towards the foot of the tower; Orthanc. Presently, they made the half mile trip, and she found herself at the bottom of the massive tower. She saw that the bottom was made out of black stone. The rocks gleamed, as if wet.  
  
On the eastern side, high above the ground was a great door. And over that door was s shuttered window. Leading to that door, were 27 steps, made out of the same black stone, if Buffy was any judge in rocks. These stairs, and the door were the only way in, and the only way out.  
  
"I will go up. I have been in Orthanc before, and I know my peril." Gandalf said, halting them.  
  
"I will go too. "replied the king. "I am old and fear no peril anymore. I wish to speak with the enemy who has done me so much wrong. Eomer shall come with me, and see that my aged feet do not falter."  
  
"As you will. Aragorn shall come with me. Let the others await us at the foot of the stairs. They will hear and see enough, if there is anything to hear or see."  
  
"Nay! Legolas and I wish for a closer view. We alone here represent our kindred's. We also will come behind."  
  
"Come then, "Gandalf began to climb the steps, Theoden and Eomer behind him.  
  
Buffy stepped closer to join the group, but Aragorn blocked her way. "It is unsafe. Stay behind."  
  
"I do not fear death. What is more horrible, more terrifying, than death?" She asked, staring him straight in the face. "Nothing I shall find at the top of these stairs, I can assure you."  
  
The Riders of Rohan stood uneasily on either side of the stair, as they watched their king, Gandalf, the one called Strider, the elf, the dwarf, and the girl climb the stairs. Merry and Pippin sat on the very bottom step, feeling both unimportant and unsafe.  
  
"Halfa sticky mile from here to the gate." Pippin complained. "I wish I could just slip off back to the guard room unnoticed! What did we come for? We are not wanted!"  
  
Gandalf knocked on the door of Orthanc. It rang with a hollow sound "Sarumon! Sarumon! Sarumon, come forth!" His voice was loud and commanding.  
  
For some time, there was no answer. Buffy sighed impatiently. Finally a window opened. She could almost see a figure in the shadows.  
  
"Who is it? What do you wish?" Said the shadows. The voice grated on Buffy's nerves.  
  
"Go and fetch Sarumon, since you have become his foot man, Grima Wormtongue! Do not waste our time!" Gandalf ordered.  
  
The window closed, and yet again they waited but before too long, another voice could be heard. This one came from the Large window/Balcony above them. To the grating, raspy voice of Grima, this one was smooth, melodic, music to her ears. The warmth washed over her, making her feel special, loved. It was in her head, promising her all she could desire, for some help to get away from the evil men. She heard him promise her jewels, land, power, slaves. But she wanted nothing he could offer.  
  
He was also talking to the others, as he had the private conversation with her. She bearly heard the sickly sweet voice talking to the others, and their replies. She began calculating. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, she pushed them to one side, towards the tower, and not open space, and took a flying leap. She caught hold of the balcony/window and flipped herself up. Her hands found themselves around his neck before he could gasp in surprise.  
  
"Trying to buy a slayer? eh? You'd like that wouldn't you? A slayer as your lap dog? Well, sir, you have made a grievous error." Her voice dripped with malice towards him. "See, you've chosen the wrong slayer. You really want Faith, she goes for that type of stuff. Assassin jobs, all around evil stuff. But not me." She shook her finger in his face, like a teacher scolding a student.  
  
"Now, let's see, if memory serves me, your staff is your power source." Then she thought. "Either that, or I will be blown into oblivion." She said, fingering his staff. Lightning quick, she snatched it away from him, and broke it over her knee. A flash of light momentarily hid her from view and all feared for her safety. But then the light dispersed, and there she was. She then broke the head off and tossed it to Gandalf. "Oh, that tickles." She said, without smiling. "Huh, fairy tales don't lie." She said, looking at the two pieces of staff in her hands. He stared at her and the broken staff, mouth open.  
  
"That look just doesn't suit you." She said, pretending to ponder it. "let me help you with that." She took a step forward, and he scrambled back, tripping over himself in his haste. She shook her head in disgust. "Now, how do I get out of here? See, I'm the type to do something irrational, like kill someone, and then think about what I just got myself into, later on. It's a flaw, but only a small one." She shrugged her shoulders and he shrunk away from her.  
  
Something came flying through the air towards her. She spun and kicked it into the wall. It dented the dense stone, but the thing wasn't scratched. She picked it up, and He saw her. She didn't know who He was, but He saw her. She used all her will to not look into it, and tossed it down to Gandalf. He missed it, and it bounced down the stairs.  
  
"Here, catch!" She said, watching the object fall. Sarumon had already scrabbled inside. "Make way! I'm coming down!" She called. They made a space, and she flung herself over the railing, caught herself, and then worked herself to the ledge, before letting go and dropping. She landed, knees bent, to absorb the impact.  
  
"Come back, Sarumon!" Gandalf ordered, and to many's surprise, they saw the huddled figure come back, almost against his will. "you have become a fool, Sarumon, and yet pitiable. You might still have turned away from folly and evil, and have been of service. But you choose to stay and gnaw the ends of your plots. Stay then! But I warn you, you will not easily come out again. Behold! I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed! I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death." He said, throwing off his cloak.  
  
"Join the party." The slayer muttered.  
  
"You have no color now, and I cast you from the order and from the council."  
  
"Ouch, sacked." She muttered again. She seemed to be keeping a running commentary with herself.  
  
Gandalf bent and retrieved the head of the staff. "Your staff is broken, and you shall from now on be despised by the council." With a cry of disbelief, Sarumon fell back, and crawled inside.  
  
"Good riddance to you." She said, turning and walking down the steps.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Aragorn caught up with her at the bottom, and took a hold of her arm to stop her. "You put yourself in grave danger!"  
  
"I'm not one to sit and do nothing, and listen to idle chit-chat! IF something must be done, if it needs doing, then I'll do it." She turned to go, but then turned back. "Besides, you'll find I hate thralls." She then turned to leave, for real this time, but he held fast to her arm.  
  
"That's no excuse for almost getting yourself killed!"  
  
"Let go of me." Her voice was lethal, and he had the sense to let her shake him off. "That old man didn't lay a hand on me. Maybe it would have been better for all if he had, because then I would have killed him. He's dangerous, even without his staff and his 'color.' The only danger I was in, though, was falling to my death, and even that was rather unlikely. Slayers tend to have cat like reflexes; we always land on our feet. And if we don't, we roll, and end up there."  
  
"But you put yourself in unnecessary risk!"  
  
"Risk, danger, death; all past times of mine." She said flippantly.  
  
"But it doesn't have to be that way! Before, you were alone, but now, besides the other girls, you have us." He motioned towards Legolas and Gimli. "You've joined a war that you weren't invited to, and you're welcome to it, you've saved-"  
  
"Oh, so now I'm a party crasher?! Been there, done that. I've crashed every evil plot for seven years. What makes this one any different? Unkillable evil, maybe? Done that. Immense risk of bodily harm or even death; been there."  
  
"I'm not blaming you, for...crashing. I'm trying to thank you for saving the lives you did!"  
  
"How many lives did you think I saved, by taking his staff away? Just these people here, or do you think more?"  
  
"Gandalf had it under control! You shouldn't have interfered!"  
  
"Not from where I was!" She yelled at him. "Argh! You and every other sexist bastard makes me so mad!" She cried, spinning from him. Everyone was looking at them by now, and she cared more than she should. Her emotions got the better of her, and she ran from them all, towards the guard. house.  
  
It was only a half a mile or so, and it took her about three minutes, running her fastest. He rushed into the small room and slammed the door. She hated herself for running, hated herself for leaving it that way. What the hell was wrong with her?  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
A/N:  
  
HI ALL! It's Friday (YAY!) December . . . . 19th, and here I am, up late at the computer, as usual.  
  
Well, I've now seen LORD OF THE RINGS: Return of the King, and . . . .  
  
IT ROCKS!  
  
There were a few parts that could have been better, and supposedly, the stunt doubles were easy to notice, I certainly didn't notice them! And there were parts that I really wanted to see that were cut, and things I had though of differently, when I had read the books, and of course, there are parts I don't have to add, like all of the Frodo & Sam part. Sorry, if you guys haven't figured this out yet, but this is a A,L,G andG/M (whatever you want to call him!) story, and Frodo and Sam will be making very few appearances.  
  
But this movie is exactly what I needed to finish. The push up the hill. I can do it now, I know I can. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  
  
Hope it's not a train. . . . .  
  
Anyway, please be patient. With the movie out, it will be much easier for me to write, now that I am able to relate things to actual pictures. But, I need a couple weeks. I can't expect someone to have the script out on the net right now, so I'm gonna give it a week or two. If someone knows exactly where I can find a script, then I'd be very grateful to know where!  
  
I still will be going through the book, since they changed things, and some things I want to change back, and some things I want to add.  
  
And yes, I've gotten reviews about people saying that it wasn't a good thing to be going back and forth from the movie and the book, since they were different, and some might be irritated, since that is what I shall be doing, but as a fanfic writer, as long as I have a disclaimer, I have some rights. Some freedoms, which I think is called creative liberty. AND DOING IT THIS WAY IS MY CHOICE!  
  
I am not sure how many chapters are still there, since I still have to cover the last movie, and it's three and a half hours long! Plus the stuff I'm adding. But I'd like to be done by spring break.  
  
All in all, I hope this story rocks by the time I'm done!  
  
Of course, my friends and family, many of whom dislike Buffy, can't believe I am ruining LOTR this way, but I think it adds some flair, don't you?  
  
Luv you all!  
  
Blackbeltchic  
  
OH! JUST SO YA ALL KNOW:  
  
I might just be grounded from the computer, so updating could be sparatic. But I'm thinking of you all, and I'm trying! 


	8. Changes

One of a Kind  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Changes  
  
Original Post Date: March 16, 2004  
  
Updated Post Date: April 27, 2004  
  
A/N: I am incredibly sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter! I would have never thought it would take me this long! *sigh* I had about two pages typed up to post, and yet I did not think it long enough. But this is now 9 pages, when formatted for ff.net, so hopefully this should make up for everything.  
  
I'm now using a script from the movie, so things should go faster. And my muse is very willing to work on this story. So I hope to have chapters faster than I had before, while I also do school work and work on my other stories. I thank you all for your patience and hope that you have a lovely day!  
  
I just want to quickly say thank you to all those who have reviewed so far. I have no clue who I have and have-not addressed, so this will be quick, hopefully......  
  
Thanks to KiCreature, espigle tuer, W, Alexandra the Half Wolf, Dragonsdaughter1, Asarielle, chase, Cali-luv, Cassie-Bear01, luckylily (2), Anon, Ashley, Caraphoenix, The Goddess of Purple Coats, opalrose81(the critiquing is a good thing, trust me!), Acacia Jules, Kitten, Lightning Rain, ann(ANGEL IS NOT A POOF!!!), Catlimere(that was exactly what I was thinking...), mirax, nancy (nope. No Legolas/Buffy. SORRY!), Lizz,Rou,andy(Are there more than one of you there? I thought I was the only one who had more than one voice in my head...), Stars-Child (Bloody brilliant?! *faints*), Katie(I agree. I like almost all fanfic I read, but the same old thing gets boring. Somewhere, I have another story that starts from season seven, but starts way earlier in the LOTR verse....), fatalit, Sparrow Luver, Robin...  
  
Water Mage (yeah, I've always thought Dawn should be a slayer, but nobody ever does it! *pouts*...I CALL THE IDEA!! Lol...), LAURA26, Miss. Perfect's shadow(You are not stupid if you don't find anything wrong with it, cuz how could you? I'm Nobody, and that means I'm perfect, right? Lol, jk!), wolfspirit, Pam(methinks you're right!), Lin, Lia3(don't feel bad, I have something like 36 reviews on my own login, this is just for Bek's Fan Alliance, though I tend to get more reviews here than my own....*goes off to ponder)  
  
Ok, I'm back!  
  
Acacia Jules: To answer your question, though it might be a little late, is because she's still uncomfortable with being open about their relationship, or that's at least how I see it. Besides, I'm a hie-hard Buffy/Angel fan, and while this is NOT going to be B/Angel, it will still be B/A! Which makes me sort of happy, lol.  
  
And the reason why I ended it there was because, as a reader, I hate suspense, and all the really good author's do it. So fake it till ya make it, so I had to add some suspense, right?! Lol.  
  
Lia3: Some of your questions I'll answer, other's I wont...I tend to have a very nice muse, so me hopes to have this done by June, but July seems to be the max I'll draw this out...The First shall be showing up real soon, just wait....Yes, it was Dawn's blood that made the seal take them to Middle Earth. Well, her blood, two slayer's blood, and all that potential blood. That's packing some serious power!  
  
Oh, and since everyone keeps saying this should be a Buffy/Legolas, and I haven't seemed to post this yet, these are my reasons for this NOT being a Legolas/Buffy....  
  
* Legolas is immortal. Buffy has died twice, making her NOT immortal.  
  
* They are both blond, which, if they had children, would make their children blond, and we do not want blond slayer/elves running around. It just would not be pretty.  
  
* Everyone else does Legolas and either Buffy or Willow, and I think that Legolas needs some fun. This is why he is not going to be with our good slayer, but with our bad one...  
  
hehehehehe.....there's a hint, if you get it!  
  
This is why we are not going to have Legolas and Buffy.  
  
Reasons for having Aragorn and Buffy:  
  
*Both know what it is like to be in a doomed relationship, where everyone is against it, well, many people are against it, and one person in the couple is immortal.  
  
*Both know what it is like to have responsibility forced upon them, and both know the burden of being forced to rule, when they might not want to.  
  
*Last reason I can think of right now.... They're both coming off of relationships with immortal people, and though I am not going to get into whether they loved each other or not, *cough*buffydidn'tlovespike*cough*, they really need a good solid relationship that is not only liked by people, but also good for them. I don't think Buffy and Aragorn would be together for just the sex, since Aragorn doesn't seem to be that type of person. And he would not stay with her, if he did not love her, or she did not love him.  
  
*Oh! One more reason I can think up right now...CREATIVE LICENSE!! It's my story!  
  
So those are my reasons. You don't have to like them. If you still want to read, then go ahead. If you want to flame my story and denounce my name, then so be it. (hehehe, I used a big word!)  
  
And now, ladies and gentlemen, is your regularly scheduled update:  
  
(This story is now 10 pages long......heheh!)  
  
Author's Notes: March 30, 2004- People are going to hate me for this, but I have decided that I hate the script I am using, no offense to whomever wrote it, but I do. So once again, I have opted to get a book from the library out. For those of you who do not like my switching back and forth: GET OVER IT!!  
  
April 27th- I'm once again working on this story, and will soon probably have the 9th chapter up!!! And just so you know, there are some scenes in the movie I LOVED so they will probably end up in here somewhere...  
  
I forgot I wanted to get rid of all of my unanswered reviews!!! And I might have already addressed these, so sorry! I'm very forgetful!  
  
Opalrose81: I think I've already addressed this one, but I'm a terrible speller, and I don't think your mean at all! You should see some of the reviews I send...I nit pick the chapter, and then spend two minutes praising it, lol! I'm glad you think this story has a lot of potential, and I hope you continue to read!  
  
Thanks to Acacia Jules for reviewing chapter five, but I think I already answered your questions...if not, let me know...  
  
Willow_ph: Yeah, I've found TONS of differences in the books, but I think my story is more different then either of those two, because Buffy's in it, lol. So I'm going to forge ahead. I'm giving her parts that others say, and taking out parts and adding parts, eventually it will all work out! Trust me! But thanks for your concern!  
  
Thanks to Moonlight Evanessence for your review of chapter...6. IO think I still have this one flagged, and will continue to keep it flagged, so I can keep going back to it, because you called my story Bloody brilliant! That review always makes my day!!!  
  
Sparrow Luver: I'm glad your glad that I updated, and you might be a bit mad at me for changing my mind...AGAIN!! But like you said, it's my story! Lol. Hehehe. Enjoy! I'll trey to get a new chapter up ASAP  
  
Catlimere: I'm glad you liked them, and you might be sad that I took them out, but I am going to put them back in. Arwen will be leaving next chapter, and I will probably be getting to that camp place as well, remember that from the movie? And I'm thinking that I can't wait for them to find out either, though I have no clue how I'm going to make them figure it out....hm...maybe one will have a little accident....  
  
Alexandra the Half Wolf: Well, now that we all know that she's going...I am going to have to add that part in again, it just didn't work out right. And of course, in the book, the twin elves come and bring the s2ord...have to chop up that nonsense before it gets to far! She will be gone by the next chapter, most likely! Thanks for your review!  
  
Lostmarbles: Well, here's the same old chapter, with a bit of a twist, and we'll be getting into new stuff next chapter! Thanks for your review!!!  
  
Willow Liz: (review of chapter 6) well how am I supposed to know that?! Just because my dad tells me about a guy that was brought into the jail who had swallowed enough cocaine or whatever to kill him in little plastic bags because he didn't want to get caught with it, and they had to wait for it to go through his system...how was I supposed to know there was a difference!!?!?!?! And are you so certain Buffy would really know the difference?!  
  
But you FINALLY reviewed! Lol.  
  
And that's it, ladies and gents!!  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Aragorn followed her retreating figure with his eyes. He didn't know why he was so mad about what she had done. When they had all faced the troll, and the hobbits had done some pretty dangerous stuff, all of them had, or when Gandalf refused his help, and stood against the Balrog alone, he hadn't been mad at them. He had thought that it was heroic, brave, and selfless. So, when Buffy did a selfless act, why had he made such a big deal?  
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Legolas there.  
  
They walked to the ruins of the gate. Aragorn, lost in his own thoughts, was unsure of exactly how long it took them, or if anyone had tried to speak to him.  
  
When they reached the gate, from among the shadows came Treebeard and a dozen other Ents.  
  
Buffy, from inside, felt something shift, she wasn't sure exactly what had alerted her, and she wasn't sure how she had felt it in the first place, but she rushed down the stairs, in stealth mode, in time to see the Ents emerge. She slid into the shadows by the door, hiding herself from the tree things and the company of riders.  
  
Momentarily, before cluing into the conversation, she wondered exactly what it would take to kill one of the tree things. They were big, but the bigger they were, the harder they fell. They were tree like, and so probably burned. Gimli had his axe, he wouldn't mind her borrowing it, she bet, if things came to that. She still had her scythe.  
  
Then she clued into the conversation, and realized that Gandalf seemed pretty tight with these creatures. She trusted the wizard's choice in friends and his decisions, mostly, and decided these things weren't much of a threat. She hoped.  
  
"Here are three of my companions, Treebeard." Said Gandalf, as Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas stared in wonder. From the doorway, getting over the slayer instincts of finding weaknesses, Buffy also stared in wonder. These things were like none she had ever seen. "I have spoken of them, but you have not yet seen them." And then he introduced them, one by one.  
  
The old Ent looked at them long and searchingly, before speaking to them in turn. Finally, he turned to Legolas. "So you have come all the way from Mirkwood, my good elf? A very good forest it used to be."  
  
"And still is. But not so grand that we who dwell within ever tire of seeing hew trees." This proclamation made her think of Giles and Willow. Those two never tired of new books, or websites. Well, Willow for the websites, but both on the books. They were researchers to the core. "I should dearly love to journey into Fangorn's Wood. I scarcely stepped beyond the eaves and I did not wish to turn back."  
  
Treebeard's eyes gleamed with pleasure. "I hope that you may have your wish, ere the hills be much older."  
  
"I would come, if I have the fortune to. I have made a bargain with two of my companions, that if all goes well, we will visit Fangorn together, by your leave."  
  
"Any elf is welcome, if he come with you."  
  
"I am sorry to inform you, neither of my companions is an elf. One is Gimli, Gloin's son, here." Buffy saw Gimli bow low, and the axe slipped from his belt and clattered on the hard packed earth.  
  
"Hoom! Hm! Ah now, a dwarf and an axe bearer! Hoom! I have good will towards elves, but you ask much. This is indeed a strange fellowship."  
  
"Strange as it seems, as long as Gimli lives, I shall not pass through Fangorn alone. His axe is not for trees, but for orc necks. He hewed forty two in the battle."  
  
"Hoo! Come now! That is by far a better story. And who would this other companion be?" Treebeard asked. "Would it be the fellow in the shadows?" Treebeard turned to Buffy.  
  
"Ok, I mighty not be Mr. Stealthy, but how long have you known I was there?" She stepped from the shadows, looking just a bit worse for wear. There was no way that in Sunnydale she would have show up for anything looking as she did. But here, well, it could not be helped, she supposed.  
  
"Hoom! A woman?" Treebeard turned to Gandalf and Theoden.  
  
"She would not be persuaded to stay." Gandalf told him, a slight twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Well, little one, who might you be?"  
  
"Buffy Summers. Vampire Slayer."  
  
"Hm, there once was talk of a wicked creature called vampyr by some tongues, but it traveled out of Middle Earth, I think. Haven't heard or seen one for a long time now."  
  
"Been there, done that, read the book. I've shifted my sights to orcs, for the time being, but any evil should stay on its toes. I don't discriminate." She looked first at the Ents, and then back at the tower of Orthanc.  
  
"Yes, well," Treebeard seemed unimpressed. "But now we must part for awhile. Day is drawing to an end, yet Gandalf says you must go ere nightfall, and the Lord of the Mark is eager for his own house."  
  
"Yes, we must go, and go now. I fear that I must take your gatekeepers from you. But you will manage well without them."  
  
"Maybe I shall. But I shall miss them. We have become friends in so short awhile that I think I must be getting hasty- growing backwards towards youth, perhaps. I shall not forget them, though. I have put their names into the Long List. Ents will remember it.  
  
"Ents the earthborn, old as mountains  
  
And the wide walkers, water drinking;  
  
And hungry as hunters, the Hobbit children  
  
The laughing folk, the little people.  
  
"They shall remain friends as long as the leaves are renewed. Fare you well! But if you hear news up in your pleasant land, in the Shire, send me word. You know what I mean."  
  
"We will!" Said the two young hobbits together, and they turned hastily.  
  
Merry rode with Gandalf, while Pippin rode with Aragorn. Legolas and Gimli once again shared a horse, as they rode from Isengaurd. It was a few days of strained journey from the great black tower to a place everyone was calling The Golden Hall. Buffy would not talk, nor even look at Aragorn. She knew their fight was effecting everyone, and if it didn't resolve itself soon, things were just going to get worse, but she was currently too mad to care.  
  
She listened with a slight disinterest as everyone talked and boasted. Now that the first battle was over, everyone was in better spirits, but she knew worse was to come. She could feel it, and she couldn't help but think about The First. Where did she come into all of this? There had to be a reason for them being there, and she couldn't help but think of what was going on at home. Was the world that she had been forced to protect safe?  
  
A/N: Like I said, changed my mind! Lol! Here's how the story's going to stay!  
  
Oh, and just so you know, this was something I had written in a notebook long ago, and found by chance, and this is how the story was origionally supposed to go, and after reading a tiny bit of it, I love it way more than anything I have written after. I hope you like it as well. It's much more....well, I'll let you figure it out.  
  
"Are we riding far tonight, Gandalf?" Merry asked. "I don't know how you feel about small rag tag dangling behind you, but the rag tag is tired and will be glad to stop dangling and lie down." He said from the back of Gandalf's horse. Pippin was riding with Aragorn, while Gimli and Legolas once again shared a horse. They were riding at a leisurely pace, easy for conversation, but Buffy stayed silent, almost sullen, in thought. She tuned into Gandalf's answer, since it was a question she had had on her mind for a while now, but she soon realized it was the wrong answer, and tuned out again, until Merry asked a second time.  
  
"A most unquenchable hobbit. All wizards should have a hobbit or two in their care to teach them the meaning of the word, and to correct them. I beg pardon, I have given thought to these matters. We will ride for a few hours, to the end of the valley. Tomorrow, we must ride faster." This was the answer Buffy had been waiting for, and she tuned the rest out, sinking into her own thoughts once more.  
  
They strayed from the path headed west for a mile or so. There, guards were set, two to a watch. The rest of the company, after eating, wrapped themselves in cloak and blanket and slept.  
  
Buffy tossed and turned, in the borrowed cloak and blanket. How she wished for a bed! It didn't even have to be a good one! Her room, back before thing got crazy; four poster canopy bed, Dorothy Hamil posters on every inch of wall. Mr. Gordo in his place of honor, ready for bedtime. She wanted it all.  
  
Finally she fell into a fitful sleep, full of apperations and 'memories,' some so twisted and obviously wrong, others wrong, and yet they felt so right, until she was dizzy and confused. An underlying picture lay beneath them all.  
  
Then the 'memories' of her, Celia, Dawn and Clem faded into visions of a war torn land; homes pillaged and burned; children huddled in corners, weeping for parents long dead; bare, burned earth, scarred by fire, drought and poverty.  
  
Her face scrunched, she thrashed, and turned, to yet another set of visions.  
  
People in chains; ill fitting rags hanging from their living skeletons, being prodded and beat by those demony things at the Mountain Stronghold.  
  
There were people she recognized, Gandalf in what she knew to be stocks, ridiculed, his white hair and beard grey with age and filth. Gimli and Legolas being led in front of a line of archers. The girls, her girls, being forced to do manual labor in the mines, Dawn and Faith among them. Theoden, a dark haired elf, and Aragorn hanging, eyes bulging and tongues swollen, from a gateway, swinging in a breeze.  
  
She watched, bird's eye view, as a shadow, followed by fire and destruction covered the land, and one by one, the humans died, and the demons took over.  
  
Now she had a close up view of something she could not determine, and then a ring dropped into her sight in slow motion. Strange writing covered the gold band in a liquid red, as it hit the floor and bounced in a slow arc to slam onto the floor with a huge amount of force.  
  
Fire filled her vision, red, hot, burning! An eye peered from the fire, staring into her soul. She couldn't run, couldn't scream, couldn't turn away. It bore into her. The a pair of figures popped up, and she glimpsed them, recognizing one by his build and the way he held his body, and the other by his clothes and hair.  
  
They fought off the eye, giving her a chance to get away...but again it was on her, and then she saw another figure, one she had only seen twice, and yet it had burned itself into her memory like a hot branding iron. Slowly, it started shifting forms, The Master, Angel, Drusilla, Spike, Adam, Glory, and then it was herself looking out at her. She heard a high pitched screaming.  
  
"Buffy! Buffy!" someone shook her and she fought them off, believingit to be more of the horrid visions that filled her head as she slept. She sat straight up, and the screaming stopped. Her throat was burning, as she clung to the figure, trembling with fear. He patted her back, soothing the shaken slayer.  
  
"It's ok. Shh. It's all a bad dream. Shh." He murmured, as she clung to him, her slayer strength biting into his hard physic, but he said nothing to make her loosen it.  
  
"No, no, no! It's here!" she repeated, over and over. She closed her eyes to cover the darkness, only to see that damned eye burned into her eye lids. She whimpered, and he began to rock her back and forth, as a father would sooth a scared child. He rubbed her back and whispered, "It's ok. Shhh...It's ok." The whole time.  
  
Eventually, she fell back into a dreamless sleep. But as he tried to pull away and lay her back on the hard ground, she whimpered and cried out, holding onto him tighter. Finally, he lay down beside her, letting her cling, and they both slept. He didn't think about the accusations that would be made the next day.  
  
Both were awakened in the pre-dawn hours by some terrible ruckus.  
  
It took Buffy a few minutes to come back to full conscious, a few more to remember her dream, and her rescuer, and a few more for her to tune into the conversation.  
  
"...we must move. The neighborhood of Isenguard is no place to linger in. I will ride ahead at once with Perigrin Took. It will be better for him than lying in the dark as others sleep." She heard Gandalf say, but none was in context, and her brain was fuddled and confused.  
  
"I will keep Eomer and ten Riders." She heard the king reply, "They shall ride with me at early day. The rest may go with Aragorn and ride as soon as they have mind." She felt the figure sitting beside her stand and walk over to the conversation, and she suddenly felt very embarrassed, as the last pieces of her dream fell into place.  
  
"As you will. But make all the speed you may to the over of the hills, to Helm's Deep!"  
  
At that moment, Buffy's 'spider senses' freaked, as a shadow fell over them. The moon was cut from their vision.  
  
Many riders cried out, crouching, covering their heads to shield themselves from a blow from above. A blind fear took them, and a deadly cold fell about them.  
  
Cowering, they all looked up. Buffy looked as well, frightened though the fear, terror and even the coldness was nothing new to her.  
  
A vast winged shape passed over the moon yet again like a black cloud. It wheeled and flew north, flying at a greater speed than any wind of Middle Earth. The stars were blotted out by it, and then it was gone.  
  
Many stood, rigid. Gandalf was gazing after the beast, his arms down, stiff, hands clenched.  
  
"Nazgul! The messenger of Mordor. The storm is coming. The Nazgul have crossed the river! Ride! Ride! Wait not for dawn! Let not the swift wait for the slow!" he cried, and then sprang away, faster than Buffy had thought possible for an old guy, calling to Shadowfax as he went. Aragorn followed. Reaching Pippin, Gandalf picked him up in his arms, "You shall come with me this time. Shadowfax shall show you his paces."  
  
Shadowfax waited where Gandalf had slept, and the wizard quickly packed his things, and then he lept aboard the horse's broad back. Aragorn lifted Pippin up and, tucked him into Gandalf's arms, wrapped in a cloak and blanket.  
  
"Farewell! Follow fast! Away, Shadowfax!" the magnificent horse tossed his head, his flowing tail flickering in the moonlight. Then, in once graceful movement, he lept forward, hooves churning the earth, and he was gone.  
  
"A beautiful, restful night!" Merry said to Aragorn, "Some folk have wonderful luck. He did not want to sleep, and he wanted to ride with Gandalf-and there he goes! Instead of being turned into a stone himself to stand here for ever as a warning."  
  
"If you had been the first to lift the Orthanc-stone, and not he, how would it be now?" asked Aragorn, "You might have done worse. Who can say? But now it is your luck to come with me, I fear. At once. Go and get ready, and bring anything that Pippin left behind. Make haste!"  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
So, there we go! Those are the changes, and I found part of chapter Nine on my computer, and have it with me today, in Study Hall, so I shall try to get it up to you guys by Friday's Study Hall!  
  
Read and Review please!!!  
  
And because I have changed my mind so much, you can flame me if you want! (flames are reviews saying how bad the author/story is) 


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